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"Kundalini Tantra"
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
CONTENTS
Introduction to Kundalini Tantra
Section I - KUNDALINI
1. Ye Man, Tame the Kundalini
2. What is Kundalini?
3. Kundalini Physiology
4. Kundalini and the Brain
5. Methods of Awakening
6. Preparing for the Awakening
7. Diet for Kundalini Awakening
8. Risks and Precautions
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9. Kundalini and Madness
10. Four Forms of Awakening
11. The Descent of Kundalini
12. The Experiences of Awakening
13. The Path of Kriya Yoga
14. Vama Marga and Kundalini Awakening
Section 2 - THE CHAKRAS
1. Introduction to the Chakras
2. Evolution through the Chakras
3. Ajna Chakra
4. Mooladhara Chakra
5. Swadhisthana Chakra
6. Manipura Chakra
7. Anahata Chakra
8. Vishuddhi Chakra
9. Bindu Visarga
10. Sahasrara and Samadhi
Section 3 - KUNDALINI YOGA PRACTICE
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Preliminary techniques for individual chakras and kshetram and the advanced techniques
of kriya yoga
Introduction
1. Rules and Preparations
2. Posture
3. Chakra Sadhana Course
4. Practices for Ajna Chakra
5. Practices for Mooladhara Chakra
6. Practices for Swadhisthana Chakra
7. Practices for Manipura Chakra
8. Practices for Anahata Chakra
9. Practices for Vishuddhi Chakra
10. Practices for Bindu Visarga
11. Practices for Integrated Chakra Awareness
12. Your Sadhana Program
13. Kundalini Kriyas of Kriya Yoga
14. The Kriya Yoga Practices
Section 4 - KUNDALINI RESEARCH
Compiled by: Swami Shankardevananda Saraswati MB, BS (Syd)
1. Introduction
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2. Kundalini, Fact not Fiction
3. Defining the Nadis
4. Controlling the Nadis and the Brain
5. Evidence for the Existance of Nadis
6. Neurophysiology of the Chakras
7. Evidence for the Existence of Chakras
8. The Cosmic Trigger
9. Cross-Cultural Evidence
10. Analysis of the Chakras from a Psychophysiological Viewpoint
Section 5 - APPENDIX
Chakra Charts
Index of Practices
Glossary
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Introduction to Kundalini and Tantra
I have been travelling the world for the last three decades in order to pass on the message
of yoga, and I find that yoga has influenced the course of human thinking tremendously.
Initially of course, there was some doubt about it as many people thought that yoga was a type
of religion, witchcraft or mysticism. This particularly happened because man believed matter
was the ultimate point in the evolution of nature. The materialistic world did not understand
yoga for some time, but as the men of science dived deep into the mysteries of matter, they
came to understand and realize that matter was not the ultimate in the evolution of nature.
If that is so for one form of matter, it applies to every form of matter. This external
experience, the perception you have through your senses, is a product of matter. Even your
thoughts, feelings, emotions and cognitions are products of matter. Therefore, they cannot be
absolute and final. This means there must be another realm of experience. And if there is
another realm of experience, it must be possible to transcend the present limitations of the
mind.
The mind is also matter; it is definitely not spirit. So the mind can also be transformed and
made to evolve. People have begun to realize and experience this in the last few decades. And
in my opinion, this marks the end of one era and the beginning of another. For those who have
knowledge of science and the nature of matter, it is not difficult to understand exactly what
inner experience is.
An inner experience is the manifestation of a deeper level of oneself. Dream, of course, is
an experience. Your dreams may be schizophrenic but that is an expression of your own self.
Thought is also a concept or expression of your own self. A piece of music is an expression of
yourself, whether you compose it or just admire it. A painting or sculpture is a concept of
yourself whether you create it or just admire it. That means the external world is a
manifestation of your inner experience. And you can improve this experience to any extent.
You can also bring about deterioration of this experience. When everything is hopeless
outside, that is your experience of yourself, and if everything is beautiful outside, that is also
your experience of yourself.
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In the last few decades, yoga has helped millions of people improve their concepts of
themselves. Yoga realizes that man is not only the mind, he is body as well. Therefore man
does not experience happiness only through the mind. The body is also real and it is a part of
his personality. Just by improving the condition of the body however, man will not
necessarily enable his mind to experience happiness either. This is because he is not only the
body and mind, he is emotion and desire as well. He is something beyond the mind or psyche.
Therefore, yoga has been designed in such a way that it can complete the process of evolution
of the personality in every possible direction. That is why yoga has so many branches - hatha
yoga, karma yoga, bhakti yoga, raja yoga, gyana yoga, kundalini yoga, and so on.
A combined, integrated practice of yoga in one's life will definitely ensure a better quality
of experience within you and without. Every seeker and practitioner on the path of yoga must
remember that the various paths of yoga are to improve the quality of head, heart and hand.
However, yoga does not end with the development of the personality. One level of the
personality is dependent on this mind, this body and these emotions, but there is another
deeper part of the personality which you have to develop with another kind of mind and
emotion. This requires a special process, and that process is known as kundalini yoga.
Objective experience not the ultimate
Kundalini yoga is a part of the tantric tradition. Even though you may have already been
introduced to yoga, it is necessary to know something about tantra also. Since ancient times,
the wise men have realized that mind can be expanded and that experiences do not necessarily
depend on an object. This means that if somebody is playing music, I can hear it, and if
somebody has painted a picture, I can see it, but I can also see if there is no picture, and I can
hear if there is no music. This is also a quality of man's personality which has been ignored in
the last 150 to 200 years.
Tantra says that the range of mental experience can be broadened. With the help of the
senses, your mind can have an experience based on an object. There can be an experience
within the framework of time, space and object, but there can also be an experience beyond
the framework of time, space and object. The second form of experience can happen when the
present mind expands beyond its given definitions and borders, and when this experience
occurs, energy is released from yourself.
For hundreds of years, people have been talking about an experience called nirvana,
moksha, emancipation, self-realization, salvation or liberation, without understanding it
properly. Yogis call this experience samadhi. Although many people think that in samadhi or
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nirvana everything is completely finished, it is definitely not a process of quitting the world.
Nothing finishes, only one level of experience ends, but then another begins.
Since the dawn of creation, the tantrics and yogis have realized that in this physical body
there is a potential force. It is not psychological, philosophical or transcendental; it is a
dynamic potential force in the material body, and it is called kundalini. This kundalini is the
greatest discovery of tantra and yoga. Scientists have begun to look into this, and a summary
of some of the latest scientific experiments is included in this book. We can see from this
research that science is not actually going to discover anything new in this field. It is only
rediscovering and substantiating what yogis discovered many, many centuries ago.
A universal event
The seat of kundalini is a small gland at the base of the spinal cord. With the evolution of
the natural forces in man, this gland has now come to a point where man can explode it. Quite
a number of people have awakened this supernatural force and they have been called rishis,
prophets, yogis, siddhas and various other names according to the time, tradition and culture.
In India the entire cultural setup was once organized to facilitate this explosion, but today
things are a little different because materialism is a very powerful force, and for the moment,
it has even stupefied the Indian minds.
For the awakening of kundalini, not only are the practices of yoga required. If this
awakening is to become a universal event, then the entire social structure has to be
reorganized and millions of people all over the world have to be told the purpose of their
existence. The whole life from the time of conception to the moment when you leave the
body, each and every thing has to be reoriented. You will see in this book how even the
instinctive and emotional interaction between man and woman must be revised and refined, so
that it can lead us not away from, but towards, this ultimate awakening. This reorientation has
to be undertaken with the purpose of expanding the mind and opening new doors of
experience.
Today we are living in a world where everyone is more or less satisfied. Man has all the
comforts and everything he needs and does not need. There will come a time, however, when
man will be prepared to throw off these comforts. Luxury and comfort weaken the will and
keep man under constant hypnosis. Alcohol and drugs are not as dangerous as man's total
slavery to luxury and comfort. He cannot pull himself away from them. It is impossible unless
he has become aware of something more than what his parents and society could give him.
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Formerly there were only a few seekers, but now millions and millions of people in the
world are striving for a higher experience. And this higher experience is known as knowledge.
When, through yoga and tantra, the awakening of kundalini takes place, a process of
metamorphosis occurs in the realm of nature and in the realm of spirit. The elements of the
physical body change and the elements of the mental body also.
It may be difficult for people of today to understand the whole concept, but soon humanity
will comprehend it all. Matter will become unnecessary and insignificant. Behind the matter
and behind the mind there is energy and there is an experience of that energy.
Proceed slowly, sensibly and systematically
Yet, you should not try to realize and experience these things abruptly. You will find here
detailed instructions on the gradual preparation of your mind and body for the arousal of
kundalini, and advice on elementary precautions to be observed in order to avoid unnecessary
risks and obstacles. Do not try to influence your mind directly, because the mind is nothing
but an extension of the body complex. Start systematically with the body, the prana, the nadis
and chakras, according to the scheme outlined in this book. Then see how you evolve.
Many people, encouraged by this type of philosophy take to drugs, chemicals and other
things they consider to be speedy alternatives. They are very serious people I believe, but they
are not practical and systematic because they think they can transcend the role of the body in
the realm of evolution. In the final evolution of mind, matter and man, you cannot ignore
either the body or the mind. You cannot even ignore the nose, the stomach or the digestive
system. That is why this transcendental philosophy begins with the basic considerations of
diet and yogic physiology that you find discussed here.
The discovery of the great energy began with matter. Did nuclear energy descend from
heaven? No, it evolved from crude matter. Where does the experience generate from? From
heaven? From the sanctum sanctorum? No, from this body and this nervous system. That is
how you should be practical and sensible.
This book presents a systematic and pragmatic approach to the awakening of kundalini. It
begins with an expanded understanding of the true role and potential of the body and nervous
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system, moving through an exhaustive examination of the different methods of awakening
suitable for different personalities and conditions. You will find clear and direct instructions
on the actual yogic and tantric techniques to be practised towards this goal, together with a
map of possible experiences you may encounter as the practices mature, so that you can
sustain this great awakening and integrate it into a more conscious and creative way of life.
We have included here a systematic schedule of practice, within the context of a
philosophy that is both pragmatic and transcendental, to prepare you in every way for this
great adventure in consciousness.
Section I – KUNDALINI
Chapter 1
Уе Man, Tame the Kundalini
When I was six years old I had a spontaneous spiritual experience during which I became
completely unaware of my body for quite a long time. Again, when I was ten, the same thing
happened, but this time I was old enough to think and rationalize, and I told my father about
it. At first he did not understand what had happened and he wanted to take me to a doctor, but
fortunately there were no doctors in our area at that time. Had there been, perhaps I would
have ended up in a mental hospital, but things being what they were, I did not have to undergo
treatment and was left unattended.
My father had great regard for the Vedas and for his guru. One day this guru happened to
visit my native town, so my father took me to him and asked his advice about me. The sage
told him that I had had a spiritual experience and therefore should be instructed to lead a
spiritual life. My father obeyed his guru and arranged for me to be trained accordingly. Thus
at an early age I was dedicated to the spiritual quest.
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My family was Hindu, and in Hinduism there are two traditions: one believes in the
worship of idols, and the other that God is formless. My family belonged to the latter, but still
I often looked at the pictures of all the different deities and wondered at them. Durga was
mounted on a lion; Saraswati on a swan; Vishnu lay sleeping on a huge cobra; Kali was
completely naked, standing on the body of Shiva; Таrа too was naked and Shiva was drinking
milk from her breast. I could not understand what it all meant. Why did Shiva ride upon a bull
and have so many snakes wrapped around him; how could the Ganga flow from his hair; why
was Ganesha, with his enormous elephantine head and pot belly, riding on a small rat? I
thought that there must be some symbolic meaning behind all this, but I only began to
understand it through kundalini yoga, which I started practising at the age of fifteen, while
still at school.
Around this time I had another experience. I was sitting quietly when suddenly, without
any effort, my mind turned inwards. I immediately saw the whole earth with its oceans,
continents, mountains and cities, crack into pieces. I did not understand this vision until a few
days later when the second world war broke out. This really made me begin to wonder. How
could I have seen this future event symbolically in meditation when living in a remote area? I
had neither heard nor read about it previously, nor had I any way of knowing that it was
coming.
A new life begins
By the time I was seventeen, I was asking questions which nobody could answer. I
wondered about things like the difference between perception and experience. I talked a lot
about such topics with my maternal uncle and my younger sister, but this did not quench my
thirst and I knew I had to go out and discover the answers for myself. I postponed my
departure from home until one day my father pushed me out with ninety rupees in my pocket.
Thus my wandering life began.
During my travels I met a very old swami who invited me to stay in his ashram. He had a
wonderful knowledge of tantra and taught me many things. Though I knew I would never
forget him, he was not my guru and after nine months I left his ashram and continued
wandering. Soon after this I reached Rishikesh, where I heard about Swami Sivananda. I went
to him and asked how to experience the highest consciousness. He told me to stay in his
ashram and he would guide me. So I followed monastic life, but still, for a long time I was
puzzled about the purpose of my existence. I felt that man was a seeker, yet I really did not
know what I was seeking and was often left with the terrifying question that man asks himself
regarding death.
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The awakening of my kundalini
Sometime later I had another experience while sitting on the banks of the Ganga. I was
thinking of some mundane things when my mind spontaneously started going in and in.
Suddenly I felt as if the earth was slipping from under me and the sky was expanding and
receding. A moment later I experienced a terrible force springing from the base of my body
like an atomic explosion. I felt that I was vibrating very fast, the light currents were terrific. I
experienced the supreme bliss, like the climax of a man's desire, and it continued for a long
time. My whole body was contracting until the feeling of pleasure became quite unbearable
and I lost complete awareness of my body. This was the third time it had happened.
After returning to consciousness I was listless for many days. I could not eat, sleep or
move, even to go to the toilet. I saw everything but nothing registered. The bliss was a living
thing within me and I knew that if I moved, this wonderful feeling would cease; I would lose
the intensity of it all. How could I move when bells were ringing inside? This was the
awakening of my kundalini.
After a week or so I returned to normal and then I started to study tantra and yoga very
seriously. At first I was still a bit weak and sick, so I practised hatha yoga to purify my whole
system. Then I began to explore the fantastic science of kundalini yoga. What is this power
which awakens in mooladhara chakra? My interest was aroused and I put much effort into
trying to understand this marvellous force.
With the awakening of kundalini, the greater intelligence is aroused from its sleep and you
can give birth to a new range of creativity. When kundalini awakens, not only are you blessed
with visions and psychic experiences, you could become a prophet, saint, inspired artist or
musician, a brilliant writer or poet, a clairvoyant or messiah. Or you could become an
outstanding leader, prime minister, governor or president. The awakening of kundalini affects
the whole area of the human mind and behavior.
Kundalini is not a myth or an illusion. It is not a hypothesis or a hypnotic suggestion.
Kundalini is a biological substance that exists within the framework of the body. Its
awakening generates electrical impulses throughout the whole body and these impulses can be
detected by modern scientific instruments and machines. Therefore, each of us should
consider the importance and the benefits of awakening kundalini, and we should make a
resolve to awaken this great shakti.
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Chapter 2
What is Kundalini?
Everybody should know something about kundalini as it represents the coming
consciousness of mankind. Kundalini is the name of a sleeping dormant potential force in the
human organism and it is situated at the root of the spinal column. In the masculine body it is
in the perineum, between the urinary and excretory organs. In the female body its location is
at the root of the uterus, in the cervix. This center is known as mooladhara chakra and it is
actually a physical structure. It is a small gland which you can even take out and press.
However, kundalini is a dormant energy, and even if you press it, it will not explode like a
bomb. To awaken kundalini you must prepare yourself through yogic techniques. You must
practise asanas, pranayama, kriya yoga and meditation. Then, when you are able to force your
prana into the seat of kundalini, the energy wakes up and makes its way through sushumna
nadi, the central nervous canal, to the brain. As kundalini ascends, it passes through each of
the chakras which are interconnected with the different silent areas of the brain. With the
awakening of kundalini there is an explosion in the brain as the dormant or sleeping areas
start blossoming like flowers. Therefore, kundalini can be equated with the awakening of the
silent areas of the brain.
Although kundalini is said to reside in mooladhara chakra, we are all at different stages of
evolution, and in some of us kundalini may have already reached swadhisthana, manipura or
anahata chakra. If this is so, whatever sadhana you do now might start an awakening in
anahata or some other chakra. However, awakening of kundalini in mooladhara chakra is one
thing, and awakening in sahasrara, the highest center of the brain, is another. Once the
multipetalled lotus of sahasrara blossoms, a new consciousness dawns. Our present
consciousness is not independent, as the mind depends on the information supplied by the
senses. If you have no eyes, you can never see; if you are deaf, you will never hear. However,
when the superconsciousness emerges, experience becomes completely independent and
knowledge also becomes completely independent.
How man discovered kundalini
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Right from the beginning of creation, man witnessed many transcendental happenings.
Sometimes he was able to read the thoughts of others, he witnessed somebody else's
predictions coming true, or he may even have seen his own dreams manifesting into realities.
He pondered over the fact that some people could write inspiring poems or compose beautiful
music whereas others couldn't; one person could fight on the battlefield for days together and
another person couldn't even get up from his bed. So he wanted to discover why everybody
seemed to be different.
In the course of his investigations, man came to understand that within every individual
there is a special form of energy. He saw that in some people it was dormant, in others it was
evolving and in a very small minority of people, it was actually awakened. Originally, man
named this energy after gods, goddesses, angels or divinities. Then he discovered prana and
called it prana shakti. In tantra they called it kundalini.
What the various names for kundalini mean
In Sanskrit, kundal means a coil, and so kundalini has been described as "that which is
coiled". This is the traditional belief, but it has been incorrectly understood. The word
kundalini actually comes from the word kunda, meaning "a deeper place, pit or cavity". The
fire used in the ceremony of initiation is kindled in a pit called kunda. Similarly, the place
where a dead body is burned is kunda. If you dig a ditch or a hole it is called kunda. Kunda
refers to the concave cavity in which the brain, resembling a coiled and sleeping serpent,
nestles. (If you have the opportunity of examining a dissection of the human brain you will
see that it is in the form of a coil or snake curled up upon itself.) This is the true meaning of
kundalini.
The word kundalini refers to the shakti or power when it is in its dormant potential state,
but when it is manifesting, you can call it Devi, Kali, Durga, Saraswati, Lakshmi or any other
name according to the manifestation it is exhibiting before you.
In the Christian tradition, the terms "the Path of the Initiates" and "the Stairway to
Heaven" used in the Bible, refer to kundalini's ascent through sushumna nadi. The ascent of
kundalini and ultimately, the descent of spiritual grace, are symbolized by the cross. This is
why Christians make the sign of the cross at ajna, anahata and vishuddhi chakras, for ajna is
the center where the ascending consciousness is transcended and anahata is where the
descending grace is made manifest to the world.
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Whatever happens in spiritual life, it is related to the awakening ot kundalini. And the goal
of every form of spiritual life, whether you call it samadhi, nirvana, moksha, communion,
union, kaivalya, liberation or whatever, is in fact awakening of kundalini.
Kundalini, Kali and Durga
When kundalini has just awakened and you are not able to handle it, it is called Kali.
When you can handle it and are able to use it for beneficial purposes and you become
powerful on account of it, it is called Durga.
Kali is a female deity, naked, black or smoky in color, wearing a mala of 108 human
skulls, representing the memories of different births. Kali's lolling tongue of blood red color
signifies the rajo guna whose circular movement gives impetus to all creative activities. By
this specific gesture, she is exhorting the sadhakas to control their rajo guna. The sacrificial
sword and the severed head held by the left hand are the symbols of dissolution. Darkness and
death are by no means the mere absence of light and life, rather, they are their origin. The
sadhaka worships the cosmic power in its female form, for she represents the kinetic aspect,
the masculine being the static which is activated only through her power.
In Hindu mythology, the awakening of Kali has been described in great detail. When Kali
rises in red anger, all the gods and demons are stunned and everybody keeps quiet. They do
not know what she is going to do. They ask Lord Shiva to pacify her, but Kali roars
ferociously, throwing him down and standing on his chest with her mouth wide open, thirsty
for flesh and blood. When the devas hold prayers to pacify Kali, she becomes calm and quiet.
Then there is the emergence of Durga, the higher, more refined and benign symbol of the
unconscious. Durga is a beautiful goddess seated on a tiger. She has 8 hands representing the
eightfold elements of man.
Durga wears a mala of human heads to symbolize her wisdom and power. These heads are
generally 52 in number, representing the 52 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, which are the
outer manifestations of Shabda Brahma or Brahma in the form of sound. Durga is the remover
of all evil consequences of life and the giver of power and peace that is released from
mooladhara.
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According to yoga philosophy, Kali, the first manifestation of the unconscious kundalini is
a terrible power; it completely subdues the individual soul, represented by her standing on
Lord Shiva. It sometimes happens that by mental instability some people get in contact with
their unconscious body and see inauspicious, ferocious elements - ghosts, monsters, etc.
When Kali, the unconscious power of man, is awakened she goes up to meet the further
manifestation, being Durga, the superconscious, bestowing glory and beauty.
Symbolic representation of kundalini
In the tantric texts, kundalini is conceived of as the primal power or energy. In terms of
modern psychology, it can be called the unconscious in man. As we have just discussed, in
Hindu mythology, kundalini corresponds with the concept of Kali. In the philosophy of
Shaivism, the concept of kundalini is represented by the shivalingam, the oval-shaped stone or
pillar with a snake coiled around it.
However, most commonly, kundalini is illustrated as a sleeping serpent coiled three and a
half times. Of course there is no serpent residing in mooladhara, sahasrara or any other
chakra, but the serpent has always been a symbol for efficient consciousness. In all the oldest
mystic cults of the world you find the serpent, and if you have seen any pictures or images of
Lord Shiva, you will have noticed serpents girdling his waist, neck and arms. Kali is also
adorned with serpents and Lord Vishnu eternally reposes on a large coiled serpent. This
serpent power symbolizes the unconscious in man.
In Scandinavian, European, Latin American and Middle Eastern countries and many
different civilizations of the world, the concept of the serpent power is represented in
monuments and ancient artifacts. This means kundalini was known to people from all parts of
the world in the past. However, we can conceive kundalini in any manner we like because
actually, prana has no form or dimension, it is infinite.
In the traditional descriptions of kundalini awakening, it is said that kundalini resides in
mooladhara in the form of a coiled snake and when the snake awakens it uncoils and shoots
up through sushumna (the psychic passage in the center of the spinal cord), opening the other
chakras as it goes (see Sir John Woodroffe's The Serpent Power). Brahmachari Swami
Vyasdev, in his book Science of the Soul, describes the awakening of kundalini in the
following way:
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"Sadhakas have seen the sushumna in the form of a luminous rod or pillar, a golden yellow
snake, or sometimes as a shining black snake about ten inches long with blood redeyes like
smouldering charcoal, the front part of the tongue vibrating and shining like lightning,
ascending the spinal column."
The meaning of the 3 1/2 coils of the serpent is as follows: The 3 coils represent the 3
matras of Om, which relate to past, present and future; to the 3 gunas: tamas, rajas and sattva;
to the 3 states of consciousness: waking, sleeping and dreaming; and to the 3 types of
experience: subjective experience, sensual experience and absence of experience. The 1/2 coil
represents the state of transcendence, where there is neither waking, sleeping nor dreaming.
So, the 3 1/2 coils signify the total experience of the universe and the experience of
transcendence.
Who can awaken kundalini?
There are many people who have awakened their kundalini. Not only saints and sadhus,
but poets, painters, warriors, writers, anyone can awaken their kundalini. With the awakening
of kundalini, not only visions of God take place, there is dawning of creative intelligence and
an awakening of supramental faculties. By activating kundalini you may become anything in
life.
The energy of kundalini is one energy, but it expresses itself differently through the
individual psychic centers or chakras - first in gross instinctive ways and then in progressively
more subtle ways. Refining of the expression of this energy at higher and more subtle levels
of vibration represents the ascent of human consciousness to its highest possibilities.
Kundalini is the creative energy; it is the energy of self-expression. Just as in reproduction
a new life is created, in the same way, someone like Einstein uses that same energy in a
different, more subtle realm, to create a theory like relativity. It is the same energy that is
expressed when someone composes or plays beautiful music. It is the same energy which is
expressed in all parts of life, whether it is building up a business, fulfilling the family duties or
reaching whatever goal you aspire for. These are all expressions of the same creative energy.
Everybody, whether householder or sannyasin, must remember that awakening of
kundalini is the prime purpose of human incarnation. All the pleasures of sensual life which
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we are enjoying now are intended only to enhance the awakening of kundalini amidst the
adverse circumstances of man's life.
A process of metamorphosis
With the awakening of kundalini, a transformation takes place in life. It has little to do
with one's moral, religious or ethical life. It has more to do with the quality of our experiences
and perceptions. When kundalini wakes up your mind changes and your priorities and
attachments also change. All your karmas undergo a process of integration. It is very simple
to understand. When you were a child you loved toys, but why don't you love them now?
Because your mind has changed and consequently, your attachments have also changed. So,
with the awakening of kundalini, a metamorphosis takes place. There is even the possibility of
restructuring the entire physical body.
When kundalini awakens, the physical body actually undergoes many changes. Generally
they are positive, but if your guru is not cautious, they can be negative also. When the shakti
wakes up, the cells in the body are completely charged and a process of rejuvenation also
starts. The voice changes, the smell of the body changes and the hormonal secretions also
change. In fact, the transformation of cells in the body and brain takes place at a much higher
rate than normal. These are just a few observations. However, scientific researchers are still
taking their first steps into this field.
Why awaken kundalini?
If you want to take up the practice of kundalini yoga, the most important thing is that you
have a reason or an aim. If you want to awaken kundalini for psychic powers, then please go
ahead with your own destiny. But if you want to awaken kundalini in order to enjoy
communion between Shiva and Shakti, the actual communion between the two great forces
within you, and if you want to enter samadhi and experience the absolute in the cosmos, and if
you want to understand the truth behind the appearance, and if the purpose of your pilgrimage
is very great, then there is nothing that can come to you as an obstacle.
By means of kundalini awakening, you are compensating with the laws of nature and
speeding up the pace of your physical, mental and spiritual evolution. Once the great shakti
17
awakens, man is no longer a gross physical body operating with a lower mind and low voltage
prana. Instead, every cell of his body is charged with the high voltage prana of kundalini. And
when total awakening occurs, man becomes a junior god, an embodiment of divinity.
Chapter 3
Kundalini Physiology
Kundalini or the serpent power does not belong to the physical body, though it is
connected to it. Nor can it be discovered in the mental body or even the astral body. Its abode
is actually in the causal body, where the concepts of time, space and object are completely
lost.
How and where is the concept of kundalini related to the supreme consciousness? The
serpent power is considered to arise from the unconscious state in mooladhara. This
unconscious awareness of man then has to pass through different phases and becomes one
with the cosmic awareness in the highest realm of existence. The supreme awareness or Shiva
is considered to be seated in sahasrara, the superconscious or transcendental body at the
crown of the head. In the Vedas, as well as the Tantras, this supreme seat is called
hiranyagarbha, the womb of consciousness. It corresponds to the pituitary body, the master
gland situated within the brain.
Immediately below this center of supreme consciousness, there is another psychic center "the third eye" or ajna chakra, which corresponds to the pineal gland. This is the seat of
intuitive knowledge. This center lies on top of the spinal column, at the level of bhrumadhya,
the eyebrow center. Ajna chakra is important because it is simultaneously connected with the
seat of supreme consciousness in sahasrara and with mooladhara, the seat of the unconscious,
at the base of the spine, via sushumna, the psychic passage within the spinal column.
Therefore, it is the connecting link between the lowest unconscious seat of power and the
highest center of illumination within the individual.
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Kundalini yoga is not abstract. It considers this very physical body as the basis. For a
kundalini yogi, the supreme consciousness represents the highest possible manifestation of
physical matter in this body. The matter of this physical body is being transformed into subtle
forces - such as feeling, thinking, reasoning, remembering, postulating and doubting, in the
gradual process of evolution. This psychic, suprasensory or transcendental power in man is
the ultimate point of human evolution.
The chakras
The literal meaning of the word chakra is 'wheel or circle', but in the yogic context a better
translation of the Sanskrit word is 'vortex or whirlpool'. The chakras are vortices of psychic
energy and they are visualized and experienced as circular movements of energy at particular
rates of vibration.
In each person there are myriads of chakras, but in the practices of tantra and yoga, only a
few principal ones are utilized. These chakras span the full spectrum of man's being from the
gross to the subtle.
The chakras are physiological as well as psychic centers whose structures correspond more
or less with the traditional descriptions. These nerve centers are not situated inside the spinal
cord itself, but lie like junctions on the interior walls of the spinal column. If you cut the
spinal cord transversely at different levels you
can see that the grey matter in the cross section
resembles the lotus shape and the ascending and
descending tracts of nerve fibers correspond to
the nadis. These communicating nerve fibers
control the different physiological functions of
that portion of the body. Many books state that
the chakras are reservoirs of power, but this is
not true.
A chakra is like a centrally placed electricity
pole from which electrical wires are run to
different places, houses and street lights in the
vicinity. This arrangement is the same for each
of the chakras. The nadis which emerge from
each chakra carry prana in both directions.
There is a forward and backward pranic motion
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in the nadis, analogous to the flow of alternating current in electrical wires. The outgoing
communication and the incoming reaction enter and leave the chakra in the form of this pranic
flow in the corresponding nadis.
There are six chakras in the human body which are directly connected with the higher
unillumined centers of the brain. The first chakra is mooladhara. It is situated in the pelvic
floor and corresponds to the coccygeal plexus of nerves. In the masculine body it lies between
the urinary and excretory openings, in the form of a small dormant gland termed the perineal
body. In the feminine body it is situated inside the posterior surface of the cervix.
Mooladhara is the first chakra in the spiritual evolution of man, where one goes beyond
animal consciousness and starts to be a real human being. It is also the last chakra in the
completion of animal evolution. It is said that from mooladhara chakra right down to the heels
there are other lower chakras which are responsible for the development of the animal and
human qualities of instinct and intellect. From mooladhara chakra upwards lie the chakras
which are concerned with illumination and evolution of the higher man or super man.
Mooladhara chakra has control over the entire range of excretory and sexual functions in man.
The second chakra is swadhisthana, located at the lowest point or termination of the spinal
cord. It corresponds to the sacral plexus of nerves and controls the unconscious in man.
The third chakra is manipura, situated in the spinal column exactly at the level of the
navel. It corresponds to the solar plexus and controls the entire processes of digestion,
assimilation and temperature regulation in the body.
The fourth chakra is anahata, and it lies in the vertebral column behind the base of the
heart, at the level of the depression in the sternum. It corresponds to the cardiac plexus of
nerves, and controls the functions of the heart, the lungs, the diaphragm and other organs in
this region of the body.
The fifth chakra is vishuddhi, which lies at the level of the throat pit in the vertebral
column. This chakra corresponds to the cervical plexus of nerves and controls the thyroid
complex and also some systems of articulation, the upper palate and the epiglottis.
Ajna, the sixth and most important chakra, corresponds to the pineal gland, lying in the
midline of the brain directly above the spinal column. This chakra controls the muscles and
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the onset of sexual activity in man. Tantra and yoga maintain that ajna chakra, the command
center, has complete control over all the functions of the disciple's life.
These six chakras serve as switches for turning on different parts of the brain. The
awakening which is brought about in the chakras is conducted to the higher centers in the
brain via the nadis.
There are also two higher centers in the brain which are commonly referred to in kundalini
yoga: bindu and sahasrara. Bindu is located at the top back of the head, where Hindu
brahmins keep a tuft of hair. This is the point where oneness first divides itself into many.
Bindu feeds the whole optic system and is also the seat of nectar or amrit.
Sahasrara is supreme; it is the final culmination of kundalini shakti. It is the seat of higher
awareness. Sahasrara is situated at the top of the head and is physically correlated to the
pituitary gland, which controls each and every gland and system of the body.
Nadis
Nadis are not nerves but rather channels for the flow of consciousness. The literal meaning
of nadi is 'flow'. Just as the negative and positive forces of electricity flow through complex
circuits, in the same way, prana shakti (vital force) and manas shakti (mental force) flow
through every part of our body via these nadis. According to the tantras there are 72,000 or
more such channels or networks through which the stimuli flow like electric current from one
point to another. These 72,000 nadis cover the whole body and through them the inherent
rhythms of activity in the different organs of the body are maintained. Within this network of
nadis, there are ten main channels, and of these ten, three are most important for they control
the flow of prana and consciousness within all the other nadis of the body. These three nadis
are called ida, pingala and sushumna.
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Ida nadi controls all the mental processes
while pingala nadi controls all the vital
processes. Ida is known as the moon, and
pingala as the sun. A third nadi, sushumna, is
the channel for the awakening of spiritual
consciousness. Now the picture is coming
clear; prana shakti - pingala; manas shakti ida; and atma shakti - sushumna. You may
consider them as pranic force, mental force and
spiritual force.
As sushumna flows inside the central canal
of the spinal cord, ida and pingala
simultaneously flow on the outer surface of the
spinal cord, still within the bony vertebral
column. Ida, pingala and sushumna nadis begin
in mooladhara in the pelvic floor. From there,
sushumna flows directly upwards within the
central canal, while ida passes to the left and
pingala to the right. At swadhisthana chakra, or
the sacral plexus, the three nadis come together
again and ida and pingala cross over one
another. Ida passes up to the right, pingala to
the left, and sushumna continues to flow
directly upwards in the central canal. The three
nadis come together again at manipura chakra,
the solar plexus, and so on. Finally, ida, pingala and sushumna meet in the pineal gland - ajna
chakra.
Ida and pingala function in the body alternately and not simultaneously. If you observe
your nostrils, you will find that generally one is flowing freely and the other is blocked. When
the left nostril is open, it is the lunar energy or ida nadi which is flowing. When the right
nostril is free, the solar energy or pingala nadi is flowing.
Investigations have shown that when the right nostril is flowing, the left hemisphere of the
brain is activated. When the left nostril is flowing, the right hemisphere is activated. This is
how the nadis or energy channels control the brain and the events of life and consciousness.
Now, if these two energies - prana and chitta, pingala and ida, life and consciousness, can
be made to function simultaneously, then both hemispheres of the brain can be made to
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function simultaneously and to participate together in the thinking, living, intuitive and
regulating processes.
In ordinary life this does not happen because the simultaneous awakening and functioning
of life force and consciousness can take place only if the central canal - sushumna, is
connected with kundalini, the source of energy. If sushumna can be connected in the physical
body, it can reactivate the brain cells and create a new physical structure.
The importance of awakening sushumna
Sushumna nadi is regarded as a hollow tube in which there are three more concentric
tubes, each being progressively more subtle than the previous one. The tubes or nadis are as
follows: sushumna - signifying tamas, vajrini - signifying rajas, chitrini - signifying sattva
and brahma - signifying consciousness. The higher consciousness created by kundalini passes
through brahma nadi.
When kundalini shakti awakens it passes through sushumna nadi. The moment awakening
takes place in mooladhara chakra, the energy makes headway through sushumna up to ajna
chakra.
Mooladhara chakra is just like a powerful generator. In order to start this generator, you
need some sort of pranic energy. This pranic energy is generated through pranayama. When
you practise pranayama you generate energy and this energy is forced down by a positive
pressure which starts the generator in mooladhara. Then this generated energy is pushed
upward by a negative pressure and forced up to ajna chakra.
Therefore, awakening of sushumna is just as important as awakening of kundalini.
Supposing you have started your generator but you have not plugged the cable, the generator
will keep running but distribution will not take place. You have to connect the plug into the
generator so the generated energy can pass through the cable to the different areas of your
house.
When only ida and pingala are active and not sushumna, it's like having the positive and
negative lines in your electrical cable, but no earth. When the mind receives the three currents
of energy all the lights start working, but if you remove the earth wire, the lights will go
down. Energy flows through ida and pingala all the time, but its effulgence is very low. When
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there is current flowing in ida, pingala and sushumna, then enlightenment takes place. This is
how you have to understand the awakening of kundalini, awakening of sushumna and the
union of the three in ajna chakra.
The whole science of kundalini yoga concerns the awakening of sushumna, for once
sushumna comes to life, a means of communication between the higher and lower dimensions
of consciousness is established and the awakening of kundalini occurs. Shakti travels up
sushumna to become one with Shiva in sahasrara.
Kundalini awakening is definitely not fictional or symbolic; it is electrophysiological!
Many scientists are working on this, and Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama of Japan has developed a unit
by which the waves and currents of energy which accompany the awakening of kundalini can
be recorded and measured.
When the roots of a plant are watered properly, the plant grows and its flowers bloom
forth beautifully. Similarly, when kundalini awakening occurs in sushumna, awakening
occurs in all the stages of life. But if awakening only occurs in ida or pingala or in one of the
other centers, it is by no means complete. Only when kundalini shakti awakens and travels up
the sushumna passage to sahasrara is the entire store of higher energy in man unleashed.
The mystical tree
In the 15th Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita there is a description of the 'imperishable tree'
which has its roots at the top and its trunk and branches below, growing downwards. He who
knows this tree knows the truth. This tree is existing in the structure and function of the
human body and nervous system. One must know and climb this paradoxical tree to arrive at
the truth. It can be understood in this way: the thoughts, the emotions, the distractions and so
on, are only the leaves of this tree whose roots are the brain itself and whose trunk is the
spinal column. It is said that one has to climb this tree from the top to the bottom if he wishes
to cut the roots.
This tree seems to be completely topsy-turvy, yet it contains the essence of all occult truth
and secret knowledge. It cannot be understood intellectually, but only through progressive
spiritual awakening, for spiritual understanding always dawns in a way which is paradoxical
and irrational to the faculty of intellect. This same tree is called the 'Tree of Life' in the
Kabbalah and the 'Tree of Knowledge' in the Bible. Its understanding forms the basis of both
24
Christian and Judaic religious traditions, but unfortunately it has been completely
misunderstood by and large, for a very long time.
So it is that everybody who is trying to move from mooladhara to sahasrara is climbing to
the root every time, and the root is at the top, the brain, the sahasrara. Mooladhara is not the
root center at all. So if you are moving from swadhisthana to sahasrara or from manipura to
sahasrara, then you are climbing to the root, which is at the top in sahasrara.
Chapter 4
Kundalini and the Brain
The awakening of kundalini and its union with Shiva is immediately and intimately
25
connected with the whole brain. The brain has ten compartments, and of these, nine are
dormant and one is active. Whatever you know, whatever you think or do is coming from
one-tenth of the brain. The other nine-tenths, which are in the frontal portion of the brain, are
known as the inactive or sleeping brain.
Why are these compartments inactive? Because there is no energy. The active portion of
the brain functions on the energies of ida and pingala, but the other nine-tenths have only
pingala. Pingala is life and ida is consciousness. If a man is living but is unable to think, we
say he has prana shakti but not manas shakti. Similarly, the silent parts of the brain have
prana, not consciousness.
So a very difficult question arises: how to awaken the sleeping compartments of the brain?
We know how to awaken fear, anxiety and passion, but most of us do not know how to
awaken these dormant areas of the brain. In order to arouse the silent areas, we must charge
the frontal brain with sufficient prana and we must awaken sushumna nadi. For both these
purposes we must practise pranayama regularly and consistently over a long period of time.
Lighting up the brain
In kumdalini yoga it was discovered that the different parts of the brain are connected with
the chakras. Certain areas are connected with mooladhara chakra, others with swadhisthana,
manipura, anahata, vishuddhi and ajna. When you want to turn on an electric lamp, you don't
have to touch the lamp itself, you operate it by means of the switch on the wall. Likewise,
when you want to awaken the brain, you can't deal with it directly, you have to flick the
switches which are located in the chakras.
Modern science divides the dormant area of the brain into ten parts, whereas in kundalini
yoga we divide it into six. The qualities or manifestations of the brain are also sixfold, e.g. the
psychic powers. These manifest in different individuals according to the degree of awakening
in the corresponding areas of the brain. Everybody is not clairvoyant or telepathic; some
people are talented musicians. Anybody can sing, but there is a center in the brain where
transcendental music expresses itself.
Total and partial awakening
26
A genius is one who has been able to awaken one or more of the dormant areas of the
brain. People who have flashes of genius are those who have had a momentary awakening in
certain circuits of the brain. It is not total awakening. When the total brain wakes up, you
become a junior god, an incarnation or embodiment of divinity. There are various types of
geniuses - child prodigies, inspired poets, musicians, inventors, prophets, etc. In these people
a partial awakening has occurred.
Sahasrara is the actual seat of kundalini
Although the classical descriptions place heavy emphasis on the awakening of kundalini in
mooladhara chakra, there is a widespread misconception that kundalini must be awakened
there and made to travel through and awaken all the chakras in turn. In fact, the seat of
kundalini is actually sahasrara. Mooladhara is only a manipulating center or switch, like the
other chakras, but it happens to be easier for most people to operate this switch.
Each of the chakras is independent; they are not connected with each other. This means, if
kundalini shakti awakens in mooladhara, it goes directly to sahasrara, to a particular center in
the brain. Similarly, from swadhisthana the shakti passes directly to sahasrara, from manipura
it goes straight to sahasrara and so on. Kundalini can be awakened in an individual chakra or
it can awaken throughout the whole network of chakras collectively. From each chakra, the
awakening shock moves up to the top of sahasrara. However, the awakening is not sustained
and those centers in the brain return to dormancy. This is what is meant by the return of
kundalini to mooladhara.
If kundalini awakens in an individual chakra, the experiences which are characteristic of
that chakra will be brought into consciousness. This may also occur when one does the
practices for an individual chakra. For example, swadhisthana practices will raise joy;
manipura practices will increase the self-assertion; anahata stimulation will expand the love;
vishuddhi practices will awaken discrimination and wisdom, and ajna practices will increase
the flow of intuition, knowledge and perhaps extrasensory abilities and so on.
If the nervous system is highly aroused, we may have other faculties opening because of
the general arousal of the brain. This probably results from stimulation of an area in the lower
end of the brain called the reticular formation. The function of this area is to rouse the whole
brain or to relax it, as in sleep.
27
The reticular formation and related areas have an inherent rhythm which is responsible for
our sleeping/waking cycles, but it is also largely activated by sensations from outside - by
light, sound, touch, etc., and from inside via the autonomic nervous system. It is the latter
which seems to account for the more general arousal caused by the kundalini practices and
other powerful yoga practices such as kumbhaka or breath retention.
Kundalini - energy or nerve messages?
There are a number of schools of thought as
to what kundalini really is. Many yogis say that
kundalini is a flow of pranic energy along an
esoteric pathway (sushumna) associated with
the spinal axis. They consider that it is part of
the flow of prana within the meshwork of the
pranic body and that there is no anatomical
counterpart. Other yogis relate their
perceptions of kundalini to the flow of
messages along the nerve fibers. These arise in
the networks of the autonomic plexuses and
ascend along tracts in the spinal cord to
definite anatomical centers in the brain.
These schools of thought use different
descriptions to convey the experience of
kundalini, but they all agree that the experience
of kundalini is a total psychophysiological
event which centers around the spinal cord.
Within the spinal cord there is a very important fluid, the cerebrospinal fluid. When, through
practices such as pranayama, awakening occurs in mooladhara chakra, this fluid gets excited.
We cannot really say what happens to it because even the scientists are not exactly sure, but
by studying the experiences of kundalini awakening, one thing is apparent. When the
cerebrospinal fluid moves through the vertebral column, it alters the phases of consciousness
and this is a very important process as far as evolution is concerned.
It is the chitta or consciousness which undergoes evolution in man. Chitta does not have a
location point in the body, it is psychological in nature, but it is controlled by the information
supplied by the indriyas or senses. While chitta is being constantly supplied with information,
its evolution is blocked, but if you prevent the passage of information from the indriyas, chitta
28
will evolve very quickly. That is to say, if you isolate chitta from the information being
relayed through the eyes, nose, ears, skin and tongue, chitta is then compelled to experience
independence.
When the cerebrospinal fluid is affected during pranayama, the senses become dull and
their messages are relayed to chitta very slowly. Sometimes, when the cerebrospinal fluid is
highly stimulated, all sensory impulses are suspended and experiences take place within the
chitta. Sometimes these experiences are fantastic, you might see light, feel the whole earth
trembling or experience your body as if it were as light as a piece of cotton. These and others
are the experiences of chitta as a consequence of the cerebrospinal fluid's reactions.
One world renowned scientist, the late Itzhak Bentov, put forward the theory that
kundalini is an effect caused by the rotation of nerve impulses around the cortex of the brain
during meditation. He considered that this is caused by rhythmical pressure waves which
result from the interaction of the heart beat, breathing, and the fluid inside the skull, thereby
causing the brain to oscillate up and down which stimulates specific nerve currents in the
brain.
Unlocking the storehouse of cosmic consciousness
Although there are varying views about kundalini, one thing is certain - kundalini has the
ability to activate the human consciousness in such a way that the person can develop his
most beneficial qualities, can enter a much more intimate relationship with nature about him,
and can become aware of his oneness with the whole cosmos.
All the great miracles of the remote and recent past, and the ones yet to come, have sprung
from what is known as the storehouse of cosmic consciousness, the golden egg, the golden
womb, the hidden hiranyagarbha within the structure of the human brain. This particular
center in us is not sleeping or inactive, but it is unconscious, only because we are not
conscious of it. What came as revelation to the ancient rishis, to Newton and Einstein and to
many other great seers, is existing in us also, but it came to their conscious plane while it does
not come to ours. This is the only difference between the inspired artist and the common man.
The aim of kundalini yoga is not really to awaken the power of man, but rather to bring the
power down to earth or to bring the power of the unconscious or higher consciousness, to
normal consciousness. We have no need to awaken the consciousness, for it is ever awake.
29
We have only to gain complete control over our higher conscious forces. By means of
kundaiini yoga we just try to bring the centers from mooladhara to ajna into operation so that
the higher knowledge will be gradually revealed to us.
Today, man has mastered the material dimension, the energy of prakriti and discovered the
mysteries of nature. Now, through the process of kundalini, man should become master of the
spiritual dimension.
Chapter 5
Methods of Awakening
According to the tantras, kundalini can be awakened by various methods which can be
practiced individually or in combination. However, the first method cannot be practiced,
because it is awakening by birth. Of course, it is too late for most of us to take advantage of
this particular method, but some of us may be instrumental in producing children who have
awakened kundalinis.
Awakening by birth
By a favourable birth, if your parents were highly evolved, you can have an awakened
kundalion. It is also possible to be born with an awakened sushumna, ida or pingala nadi. This
means that from the time of birth your higher faculties will be operating either partially or
30
fully. If a child comes with partial awakening, he is called a saint, and if he comes with full
illumination, he is known as an incarnation, avatara or son of God.
If one is born with an awakened kundalini, his experiences are very much under control.
They take place in him right from the beginning in a natural way, so he never feels that
something extraordinary is happening to him. A child with an awakened kundalini has clarity
of vision, a high quality of thinking and a sublime philosophy. His attitude of life is somewhat
unusual as he has total detachment. To him, his parents were only his means of creation, and
therefore he is unable to accept the normal social relationship with them. Although he may
live with them, he feels as if he were just a guest. Such a child exhibits a very matured
behaviour and he does not react emotionally with anything in life. As he grows he becomes
aware of his mission and purpose in life.
Many of us may wish to give birth to a yogi or an enlightened child but it is not such a
simple matter. Every marriage or union of parents cannot produce a yogi, even if the man and
woman practice yoga morning and night. It is only under certain circumstances that a higher
being can be produced. In order to usher a highly evolved soul into this world, one has first to
transform one's gross desires into spiritual aspirations.
It is very difficult to convince people of the west that a child can be born in an enlightened
state, because they have the moral attitudes of a particular religion deeply ingrained in their
minds and their faith. For them, the union between a man and a woman is sin. If you explain
to them that a yogi can be produced as a result of the sexual union, they say, "No! How can a
yogi be born out of sin?"
It is possible that у new generation of supermen will be produced in this way. Through the
practices of yoga you can transform the quality of your genes. If genes can produce artists,
scientists, inventors and intellectual geniuses, then why not awakened kundalinis? You have
to transform the quality of your sperm or ova by firstly transforming your whole
consciousness. Neitheк drugs nor diet will transform your genes, but if you change your
consciousness, you can then effect the elements of the body and ultimately change the quality
of the sperm and ova. Then you will have children with awakened kundalinis. They will
become the yogis and spiritual masters of the house who set things right for you. They will
say, "Mummy, you are not the physical body." "Pара, drinking is no good."
Those of you who enter married life should go into it keeping in mind that the purpose is
not just pleasure, or to produce offspring, but to create a genius. All over the world, people
who marry for progeny should try for higher quality children.
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Mantra
The second method of awakening kundalini is through steady regular practice of mantra.
This is a very powerful, smooth and risk-free method, but of course it is a sadhana which
requires time and a lot of patience. First you need to get a suitable mantra from a guru who
knows yoga and tantra, and who can guide you through your sadhana. When you practise the
mantra incessantly, it develops in you the vision of a higher force and enables you to live
amidst the sensualities of life with indifference to them.
When you throw a pebble into a still lake, it produces circular ripples. In the same way,
when you repeat a mantra over and over again, the sound force gathers momentum and
creates vibrations in the ocean of the mind. When you repeat the mantra millions and billions
of times, it permeates every part of your brain and purifies your whole physical, mental and
emotional body.
The mantra must be chanted loudly, softly, on the mental plane and on the psychic plane.
By practising it at these four levels, kundalini awakens methodically and systematically. You
can also use the mantra by repeating it mentally in coordination with the breath or you can
sing it aloud in the form of kirtan. This creates a great potential in mooladhara and awakening
takes place.
Closely related to mantra yoga is the awakening through sound or music - nada yoga. Here
the sounds are the bija mantras and the music consists of particular melodies corresponding to
particular chakras. This is a most tender and absorbing way of awakening.
Tapasya
The third method of awakening is tapasya, which means the performance of austerities.
Tapasya is a means of purification, a burning or setting on fire so that a process of elimination
is created, not in the physical body, but in the mental and emotional bodies. Through this
process the mind, the emotions and the whole personality are cleansed of all the dirt,
complexes and patterns of behavior that cause pain and suffering. Tapasya is an act of
purification. It should not be misunderstood to involve standing naked in cold water or snow,
or observing foolish and meaningless austerities.
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When you want to eliminate a bad habit, the more you want to get rid of it, the more
powerful it becomes. When you abandon it in the waking state, it appears in dreams, and
when you stop those dreams, it expresses itself in your behavior or manifests in disease. This
particular habit must be destroyed at its psychic root, not only at the conscious level. The
samskara and vasana must be eliminated by some form of tapasya.
Tapasya is a psychological or psycho-emotional process through which the aspirant tries to
set in motion a process of metabolism that will eradicate the habits that create weakness and
obstruct the awakening of willpower. 'I must do this but I can't.' Why does this difference
between resolution and implementation arise in the mind of the aspirant? Why is it so great? It
is due to a deficiency of will; and that weakness, that distance or barrier between resolution
and execution can be removed through regular and repeated practice of tapasya. Then the
willpower makes a decision once and the matter is finished. This strength of will is the fruit of
tapasya.
The psychology of austerity plays a very important part in the awakening of man's latent
power. It is not well understood by modern man who has unfortunately accepted that man
lives for 'the pleasure principle', as propounded by Freud and his disciples. The psychology of
austerity is very sound and certainly not abnormal. When the senses are satisfied by the
objective pleasures, by the comforts and luxuries, the brain and nervous system become weak
and the consciousness and energy undergo a process of regression. It is in this situation that
the method of austerity is one of the most powerful and sometimes explosive methods of
awakening.
Here the manifestations are tremendous and the aspirant has to face his lower instincts in
the beginning. He confronts a lot of temptations and the assaults of the satanic and tamasic
forces. All the evil or negative samskaras or karmas of many, many incarnations rise to the
surface. Sometimes fear manifests very powerfully or attachment to the world comes with a
great force. In some people, sexual fantasies haunt the mind for days together, while others
become lean and thin, or even sick. At this juncture, siddhis can appear. One develops
extrasensory perceptions, he can read the minds of others, he can suppress others by a
thought, or his own thoughts materialize. In the beginning, black forces manifest and all these
siddhis are negative or of a lower quality. Tapasya is a very, very powerful method of
awakening which everybody cannot handle.
Awakening through herbs
The fourth method of awakening is through the use of specific herbs. In Sanskrit this is
called aushadhi, and it should not be interpreted as meaning drugs like marijuana, LSD, etc.
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Aushadhi is the most powerful and rapid method of awakening but it is not for all and very
few people know about it. There are herbs which can transform the nature of the body and its
elements and bring about either partial or full awakening, but they should never be used
without a guru or qualified guide. This is because certain herbs selectively awaken ida or
pingala and others can suppress both these nadis and quickly lead one to the mental asylum.
For this reason, aushadhi is a very risky and unreliable method.
In the ancient vedic texts of India, there are references to a substance called soma. Soma
was a juice extracted from a creeper which was picked on special days of the dark lunar
fortnight. It was placed in an earthen pitcher and buried underground until the full moon.
Then it was removed and the juice was extracted and taken. This induced visions, experiences
and an awakening of higher consciousness.
The Persians knew another drink, homa, which may have been the same as soma. In Brazil
and some of the African countries, people used hallucinogenic mushrooms and in the
Himalayan regions marijuana or hashish were taken with the thought that they might provide
a shortcut in arousing spiritual awakening. From time to time, in different parts of the world,
other things were also discovered and used, some being very mild in effect and others being
very concentrated.
With the help of the correct herbs, purified aspirants were able to visualize divine beings,
holy rivers, mountains, sacred places, holy men and so on. When the effects of the herbs were
more concentrated, they could separate the self from the body and travel astrally. Of course it
was often illusory, but sometimes it was a real experience as well. People were able to enter a
state of samadhi and awaken their kundalini. In this particular field of awakening, the sexual
instinct was completely eliminated. Therefore, many aspirants preferred this method and have
been trying to discover the appropriate herbs for many centuries.
With aushadhi awakening the body becomes still and quiet, the metabolism slows and the
temperature drops. As a result of this, the nerve reflexes function differently and in most cases
the aushadhi awakening is a permanent one. However, the aushadhi method of awakening is
no longer practiced because it was misused by the ordinary people who were neither prepared,
competent nor qualified. As a result, knowledge of the herbs was withdrawn and today it is a
closely guarded secret.
Everyone is craving kundalini awakening, but few people have the discipline and mental,
emotional, physical and nervious preparation required to avoid damage to the brain and
tissues. So, although no one is teaching the aushadhi method of awakening today, its
knowledge has been transmitted from generation to generation through the guru/disciple
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tradition. Perhaps some day, when the nature of man changes and we find better intellectual,
physical and mental responses, the science may again be revealed.
Raja yoga
The fifth method of inducing awakening is through raja yoga and the development of an
equipoised mind. This is the total merging of individual consciousness with
superconsciousness. It occurs by a sequental process of concentration, meditation and
communion; experience of union with the absolute or supreme.
All the practices of raja yoga, preceded by hatha yoga, bring about very durable
experiences, but they can lead to a state of complete depression, in which you do not feel like
doing anything. The raja yoga method is very difficult for most people as it requires time,
patience, discipline and perseverance. Concentration of mind is one of the most difficult
things for modern man to achieve. It cannot be undertaken before the mind has been
stabilized, the karmas deactivated and the emotions purified through karma and bhakti yogas.
It is the nature of the mind to remain active all the time, and this constitutes a very real danger
for the people of our time, because when we try to concentrate the mind we create a split.
Therefore, most of us should only practice concentration up to a certain point.
Following the awakening through raja yoga, changes take place in the aspirant. He may
transcend hunger and all his addictions or habits. The sensualities of life are no longer
appealing, hunger and the sexual urge diminish and detachment develops spontaneously. Raja
yoga brings about a slow transformation of consciousness.
Pranayama
The sixth method of awakening kundalini is through pranayama. When a sufficiently
prepared aspirant practises pranayama in a calm, cool and quiet environment, preferably at a
high altitude, with a diet only sufficient to maintain life, the awakening of kundalini takes
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place like an explosition. In fact, the awakening is so rapid that kundalini ascends to sahasrara
immediately.
Pranayama is not only a breathing exercise or a means to increase prana in the body; it is a
powerful method of creating yogic fire to heat the kundalini and awaken it. However, if it is
practiced without sufficient preparation, this will not occur because the generated heat will
not be directed to the proper centers. Therefore, jalandhara, uddiyana and moola bandhas are
practiced to lock the prana in and force it up to the frontal brain.
When pranayama is practised correctly, the mind is automatically conquered. However,
the effects of pranayama are not that simple to manage. It creates extra heat in the body, it
awakens some of the centers in the brain and it can hinder the production of sperm and
testosterone. Pranayama may also lower the temperature of the inner body and even bring
down the rate of respiration and alter the brain waves. Unless you have practised the
shatkarmas first and purified the body to a degree, when these changes take place, you may
not be able to handle them.
There are two important ways of awakening kundalini - one is the direct method and the
other is the indirect. Pranayama is the direct method. The experiences it brings about are
explosive and results are attained very quickly. Expansion is rapid and the mind attains quick
metamorphosis. However, this form of kundalini awakening is always accompanied by certain
experiences, and for one who is not sufficiently prepared mentally, philosophically, physically
and emotionally, these experiences can be terrifying. Therefore, although the path of
pranayama is a jetset method, it is drastic and is considered to be a very difficult one that
everybody cannot manage.
Kriya yoga
The seventh method of inducing awakening is kriya yoga. It is the most simple and
practical way for modern day man as it does not require confrontation with the mind. Sattvic
people may be able to awaken kundalini through raja yoga, but those who have a tumultuous,
noisy, rajasic mind will not succeed this way. They will only develop more tensions, guilt and
complexes, and may even become schizophrenic. For such people kriya yoga is by far the best
and most effective system.
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When you practise kriya yoga, kundalini doesn't wake up with force, nor does it awaken
like a satellite or as a vision or experience. It wakes up like a noble queen. Before getting up
she will open her eyes, then close them again for a while. Then she'll open her eyes again,
look here and there, turn to the right and left, then pull the sheet up over her head and doze.
After some time she will again stretch her body and open her eyes, then doze for a while.
Each time she stretches and looks around she says, 'Hmmm'. This is what happens in kriya
yoga awakening.
Sometimes you feel very grand and sometimes you don't feel quite right. Sometimes you
pay too much attention to the things of life and sometimes you think everything is useless.
Sometimes you eat extravagantly and sometimes you don't eat for days together. Sometimes
you have sleepless nights and at other times you do nothing but sleep and sleep. All these
signs of awakening and reversion, awakening and reversion keep coming every now and then.
Kriya yoga does not create an explosive awakening. However, it can bring visions and other
very mild and controllable experiences.
Tantric initiation
This eighth method of awakening kundalini through tantric initiation is a very secret topic.
Only those people who have transcended passions, and who understand the two principles of
nature, Shiva and Shakti, are entitled to this initiation. It is not meant for those who have
urges lurking within them or for those who have a need for physical contact. With the
guidance of a guru, this is the quickest possible way to awaken kundalini.
There are no extraordinary experiences or feelings and there's no neurosis; everything
seems quite normal, but at the same time, without your knowledge, awakening is taking place.
Transformation takes place and your awareness expands, but you don't know it. In this
particular system, awakening and arriving at sahasrara are the same event. It takes just three
seconds. However, who is qualified for this path? Few people in this world have completely
transcended the sexual urge and overcome their passions.
Shaktipat
The ninth method of awakening is performed by the guru. It is called shaktipat. The
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awakening is instant, but it is only a glimpse, not a permanent event. When the guru creates
this awakening you experience samadhi. You can practise all forms of pranayama and all
asanas, mudras and bandhas without having learned them or prepared for them. All the
mantras are revealed to you and you know the scriptures from within. Changes take place in
the physical body in an instant. The skin becomes very soft, the eyes glow and the body emits
a particular aroma which is neither agreeable nor disagreeable.
This shaktipat is conducted in the physical presence or from a distance. It can be
transmitted by touch, by a handkerchief, a mala, a flower, a fruit or anything edible,
depending on the system the guru has mastered. It can even be transmitted by letter, telegram
or telephone.
It is very difficult to say who is qualified for this awakening. You may have lived the life
of a renunciate for fifty years, but still you may not get it. You may be just an ordinary
person, living a non-spiritual life, eating all kinds of rubbish foods, but the guru may give you
shaktipat. Your eligibility for shaktipat does not depend on your social or immediate conduct,
but on the point of evolution you have reached. There is a point in evolution beyond which
shaktipat becomes effective, but this evolution is not intellectual, emotional, social or
religious. It is a spiritual evolution which has nothing to do with the way you live, eat, behave
or think, because generally we do these things, not because of our evolvement, but according
to the way we have been brought up and educated.
Self-surrender
We have discussed the nine established methods of awakening kundalini, but there is a
tenth way - don't aspire for awakening. Let it happen if it happens: "I am not responsible for
the awakening, nature is accomplishing everything. I accept what comes to me." This is
known as the path of self-surrender, and in this path, if you have a strong enough belief that
your kundalini will indeed awaken, twenty thousand years can pass in the twinkling of an eye
and kundalini will awaken instantly.
Effects of the different methods of awakening
When the awakening of kundalini takes place, scientific observations have revealed
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different effects. Those who have awakened kundafini from birth do not register any
emotional changes. They are like blocks of wood. Those who have awakened kundalini
through pranayama have a great quantum of electrical charges in the spinal column and
throughout the body, and momentarily they could manifest schizophrenically.
Karma yoga and bhakti yoga are considered comparatively safe and mild methods of
awakening, but the tantric methods are more scientific than the non-tantric methods, because
in tantra there is no scope for suppression or dispersion of energy. In non-tantric methods
there is antagonism - one mind wants it and the same mind is saying no. You suppress your
thoughts, you want to enjoy, but at the same time you think "No, it is bad."
I am not criticizing non-tantric methods. They are the mild methods which do not bring
you any trouble. They are just like beer - you drink a little bit and nothing happens, drink four
to ten glasses and not much will happen. But tantric methods are like LSD, you have a little
and it takes you right out. If something is wrong, it is wrong; if something is right, it is right.
Chapter 6
Preparing for the Awakening
Without a guru you can practise any form of yoga, but not kundalini. This is an extremely
powerful system. Kundalini yoga does not start suddenly or with fits. You don't have to make
any substantial changes in your way of life, but you must begin to practise. Do not start with
advanced practices; for some time you should train and prepare the physical body, then go to
the mind and gradually explore the deeper levels. Before commencing the practices which
bring about the actual awakening of kundalini, you must prepare yourself step by step on the
physical, mental and emotional planes. If you are patient and prepare correctly, awakening of
kundalini will definitely take place.
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Adequate preparation is necessary to ensure that one has the strength to bear the impact of
full awakening of the mighty potential force within. Most of us do not even have control over
our physical manifestations and behaviors. Supposing you were given a sleep inducing
injection, you would become drowsy whether you wanted to or not. This is because you have
no control over the processes and actions of your brain and you do not know how to control
sleep. Similarly, if you have a headache, you are unable to exert control over it. When
physical manifestations such as sleep and pain are not under your control, what would happen
if other manifestations began to occur in your brain? You wouldn't be able to control them.
Therefore, before kundalini awakens, it is important that you are able to manage the mind.
If you can maintain a balanced mind in the face of mental and emotional conflicts and you
can endure anger, worry, love and passion, disappointment, jealousy, hatred, memories of the
past, sufferings and sorrows, you are ready for the awakening. If you can still feel joy when
the scales are heavily loaded against you, you are an aspirant for kundalini yoga. Before you
bring into use a generator of five megawatts, you must have a factory ready to utilize the
energy. In the same way, before you awaken kundalini shakti, you must be able to merge
yourself with the higher spirit and you must know how to utilize the creative energy of
kundalini.
Therefore, if you want to follow the path of kundalini yoga, it is absolutely essential to
have a guru with whom you feel intimate. Many people say the guru is within, but are they
able to communicate with him, understand him and follow his intricate instructions? If so, it is
possible to proceed with this internal guidance, but few people have such a relationship with
the inner guru. They need an external guru first. He will connect them with the inner guru. If
you have a guru he will help you to prepare for kundalini awakening, he will be there if you
need any advice and he will guide you through the crisis of awakening.
Usually, because we are religious minded people, our relationship with guru is based on a
sort of formality. To us he is worshipful, respectable, superior and supreme, but at the time of
awakening, all these attitudes to guru must be set aside. At this time you must evolve a more
intimate attitude, as if your relationship was based on love, not merely devotion and worship.
When you serve your mother you do so with an attitude of love, not respect and veneration.
With this same attitude you should serve the guru, then his direct influence is upon you. Then,
if there is excitement in any chakra, the relationship with guru will balance it.
The relationship between guru and disciple is the most intimate of relationships; it is
neither a religious nor a legal relationship. Guru and disciple live like an object and its
shadow. The guru is the best thing in spiritual life, and if you have a guru you are very
fortunate. However, it is sometimes difficult to find a guru. If you haven't a guru, you can
cultivate a mental picture of him, try to feel his guidance and continue practising faithfully.
You will surely succeed.
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The time factor
Preparation is not the job of one lifetime. Man strives spiritually life after life. In fact, this
body is given to you only for that purpose. For eating, sleeping and sexual interaction a
human body is not necessary, so in our lower stages of evolution we had an animal body.
However, even with this human body, we still have animal in us, so these natural urges follow
us. Let them, but remember, this body is not for their fulfillment alone. In this human body
the consciousness is the most important point. Man is aware of his awareness and he does not
only think, he knows that he thinks. The evolution of his awareness has been going on life
after life. And what you have been practising for your spiritual life in the last five to ten years
is in addition to what you have already done.
Supposing your children are studying in primary school and you are transferred to another
city. Where will your children begin their education in the new city? Right from the
beginning? No, from the point where they left their studies. The same thing happens in
reincarnation. That is why, even though you may have brothers and sisters born of the same
mother and father, they will be different from you. In your previous incarnation your
preferences were different from theirs. May be after a few incarnations they may come to the
point where you are now. So we can't say how long preparation takes, because this life is one
of those milestones and you have left behind many, many milestones.
However, if you are eager to awaken kundalini and the chakras, you should not be in a
hurry. Set apart twelve years of your life for this purpose. This is not to say that the
awakening cannot be brought about within one, two or three years - it can be. Total
awakening can even take place in a month, or the guru can give you awakening in one day,
but you will be unable to hold and sustain the awakening. When one is in possession of a
weak mind which cannot sustain even a little bit of cheerfulness or excitement, or bear the
death of a spouse or separation from a loved one, how can he sustain the tremendous force of
an awakened kundalini? Therefore, the twelve years are not for the actual awakening, but for
preparation so you can hold and sustain the awakening.
Where to begin
The practices of kundalini yoga are intended to create the awareness, not necessarily to
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awaken kundalini. First of all we have to decide whether kundalini is already awakened. It
may already be on the way and you are opening the garage and there is no car because it is
already on the highway. When you go to satsang, do some kirtan or lead a yogic lifestyle, you
begin to have experiences and you realize something is happening to you. Then, when you
discuss kundalini and the chakras with a guru you start to understand.
The practices that you do develop your awareness and help you to remember your
connection with your past evolution. They remove the veil which separates this current
incarnation from the previous one. I'll give you a very gross example.
There was a boy who was the only son of a very rich man. The boy went crazy and was
sent to a mental hospital. He ran away and used to go from house to house begging for food.
He did not know that his parents had died and he had inherited a large estate, cars and shops
and a lot of money in fixed deposits. One day his uncle found him and had him treated
properly. The boy recovered from his mental illness and remembered everything about his
heritage. Similarly, there is a process of remembering, and when it takes place, you know
exactly where you stand.
So, practices are necessary to remove the veil in front of the consciousness which
separates the two lives. Once you know that your kundalini is already in the process of
transition, then practices are of no real use. If you are practising, it is because you are forced
to, and if you are not practising, it is because you are forced not to. During the period of
transition of kundalini the practices are not useless, but your efforts to practise them are of no
use. However, if there is no awakening, if kundalini is in mooladhara or swadhisthana or in
between the two, then that's the time for the practices which are enjoined in the books.
It is very important that you awaken sushumna before kundalini. This essential point has
not been stressed clearly in any books, but Swami Sivananda hinted at it in his writings. If
sushumna is not opened, where will the shakti go ? It will pass through either ida or pingala
and complications will arise.
You must also undergo purification of the tattwas or elements and purification of the
chakras and nadis. Otherwise, when kundalini awakens there will be a traffic jam. Asanas,
pranayama and the hatha yoga shatkarmas provide the best means of purification. Surya
namaskara and surya bheda pranayama purify pindala nadi and the shatkarmas and pranayama
will purify and awaken sushumna. There are specific asanas that are very important for
purifying the nadis and inducing a mild awakening in the chakras. So, start with purification
of the tattwas by the hatha yoga cleansing techniques. Take up asanas next and then
pranayama. Later you can practice mudras and bandhas and then begin kriya yoga.
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Awakening before preparation
If experience commence before you are properly prepared, you should immediately start to
prepare yourself. The first thing to do is start fasting or switch to a light diet. You should also
live quietly and avoid social interactions, reading books and magazines. Of course, during this
period you must not take any drugs or medicines and you must guard against introducing any
chemicals into the body.
If you minimize your interactions with the world outside, the experiences will subside
after five or six days and you can resume your normal life. You should then start searching for
someone who can give you further guidance.
Proceed to an ashram
When you know that kundalini is arousing, as soon as you can, you should retire to a
congenial place. As far as I know, the only congenial place is an ashram, where you can be
with a guru and like-minded people. An ashram is a community where the inmates have
plenty of work, no attachments, no hatred or prejudices, a simple life, little to eat, no comforts
nor luxuries, only the bare essentials. There are no social expectations and pressures in an
ashram, there's no fashion, no show and no useless conversations and gossip. People don't
interfere with each other.
If you live in an ashram the awakening of kundalini can be streamlined and if a mental
crisis occurs, you are free to experience whatever happens. If you don't want to eat, it's o'key;
if you can't sleep and you just want to sit, it's alright; if you have emotional problems or no
emotions at all, people will understand and leave you alone.
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If you stay with your family during the crisis period, they may send you off to a mental
hospital. If you don't feel like eating they'll say, 'Not eating today?' And when they see you
haven't eaten for a few days, they'll say, 'Something is wrong with him', and they'll try to get
you to see a doctor. Or of you are married, when your behaviour seems a little strange, your
partner might be ready to divorce you. So it is much better to get out of these places. That is
why there are so many monasteries and ashrams all over the world.
What to practise in the ashram
In the ashram you should practise purification of the physical body through the
shatkarmas, to balance the acid, wind and mucus in the body. Physical and mental purification
will also take place on account of the pure and simple ashram diet. The physical body must be
kept very, very light and made sattvic and entirely free of toxins.
If you are a bhakta by temperament, spend your time in prayer, kirtan or bhajan. If you are
an intellectual, then read books, talk minimum, practise hatha yoga and fast from time to time.
If you are a very active person, work hard and dedicate yourself to karma yoga.
It is also necessary to perfect the sitting posture, as you must be able to sit comfortably in
one of the three postures: siddhasana/siddha yoni asana, padmasana or vajrasana. The best and
most powerful of these is siddhasana/siddha yoni asana.
Some people think they should practise a lot of meditation or pranayama when kundalini is
ascending so it will go straight to sushumna. However, I don't think meditation is necessary
anymore, because when kundalini is in the process of transition, you can do nothing with your
mind. If it is quiet, it is quiet, nothing can disturb it. If your mind is agitated, you can do
nothing about it because that is the effect of the awakening of kundalini. It is not the effect of
your practice.
The movement of consciousness during the transition of kundalini is spontaneous, whether
it is depression, a state of trance, an experience or visions a feeling or sensation in the body;
you can't alter any of them. They will continue because they are forced on you, they are
evolving in you because you are passing through that stage. But if you live in the nonagitating ashram environment and partake of ashram food and share in the karma yoga, there
will not be disturbances in your experiences.
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Regarding pranayama or kriyas, when the experience is moving onwards, pranayama
happens by itself, you don't have to think what to do. Sometimes kevala kumbhaka takes
place, or you automatically begin to practise bhastrika or ujjayi. Moola bandha or vajroli
happen by themselves, or you begin to do asanas spontaneously. So you don't have to worry,
just follow the flow of experience and take care of your environment and food, and make sure
nobody disturbs you.
The role of karma yoga
Karma yoga is a very important part of spiritual life. Even if you practise austerity or
mantra, use herbs, practise pranayama, undergo tantric initiation or get shaktipat, or are born
with awakened kundalini, if you do not follow the path of karma yoga, your evolution will
definitely be retarded at some point.
If you have a good, strong automobile but the road is bumpy and covered in rocks, pebbles
and marsh, try to accelerate and see what happens. It is very important that the mind is
prepared and the personality is rendered ready. Samskaras, positive and negative, must be
exhausted, awareness must be extended to every level, dedication or consecration must be
perfected, your attachments, illusions and infatuations must be spotted, scrutinized and
analyzed. All that is not possible without doing karma yoga.
Karma yoga is not directly responsible for the awakening of kundalini, but without its
practice, kundalini cannot budge even one centimeter. Therefore, you can understand how
important karma yoga is in the life of a disciple. You must read a lot about karma yoga in the
Bhagavad Gita. Perhaps that is the only philosophical and yogic explanation of karma yoga.
The need of discipline
Some people who have awakened kundalini look quite abnormal, and they behave in a
peculiar way. They are very disorganized, unsystematic and totally confused, and you can't
understand what they are doing. Therefore, in yoga you are advised to discipline yourself
45
right from the beginning, so that when kundalini wakes up you remain disciplined. Otherwise
you might go out to the street and just lie down there in a heap.
Sometimes I used to feel like this. When I was living in Rishikesh with my guru, I decided
to visit the Ganga each morning and cross it five times, swimming through the icy cold water.
One day Swami Sivananda called me and said: "Are you going to continue your swimming or
am I going to put you out of this ashram?" This brought me back to my senses.
Life has to be disciplined, so that when kundalini awakens you can remain unconfused.
You have to go to the office, bank, shops, and drive a car as well. Everybody cannot become a
swami or stay in an ashram.
Specific recommendations
If the awakening of kundalini takes place through birth, pranayama, tantric initiation or
shaktipat, you don't have to know anything. In these situations everything is beyond control;
whether things go right or wrong; you are helpless. But when awakening takes place through
the other methods, there are certain steps to take.
Except in tantric initiation, the sexual obligations have to be kept at bay. Food should be
minimum, light and pure. One must have a guru and seek his guidance. Isolation from people
is also very important.
Often when kundalini awakens in a person, he develops some sort of power. Some
aspirants can materialize things, see clairvoyantly, hear clairaudiently Or read the minds of
others. And when you are amongst many people, it becomes a great temptation to exercise
these powers. This can be dangerous. Whereas some people will not care if you can read their
mind, others will feel it is a great impingement on their privacy and they may even want to
shoot you. You see, people get scared at the exhibition of siddhis, so if you are facing any
psychic manifestations, you will have to control them by force.
You know the great Tibeten yogi, Milarepa? He learned certain forms of magic and when
he developed powers, he took revenge on his uncle and relatives. He created hailstorms that
destroyed crops, huts and even lives, because he was then an ordinary man with love and
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hatred, friends and enemies. As long as you have likes and dislikes, you must not know what
psychic powers you have. Milarepa had to perform penance for his misdeeds and suffer a lot
at the hands of his guru.
Awakening by mantra and the need for seclusion
When awakening takes place by mantra, you will have to adjust your diet and retire from
sexual obligations, not permanently, just for a while. From time to time it is also beneficial if
you enter total seclusion. Twice a year is sufficient. In the beginning, start with one complete
day. Then increase to three days, and when you are used to it, extend to a maximum period of
nine days. It is preferable if you practise seclusion when it is neither too hot nor too cold.
During your first day of seclusion, observe silence and take only very light food and very
little. Do not meditate or try to concentrate. From morning until evening, with a few breaks
here and there, only practise your mantra on a mala. Don't do it with exertion or strain, and if
you become introverted, stop it. Maintain your mental concept with the external experiences;
do not aspire for an introverted meditative state. If introversion forces itself, keep your eyes
open. Practise this for twelve hours, but not in one stretch. And for the last hour you must sit
in meditation.
Next time you enter seclusion, go for three to nine days. During this period, devote as
much time as possible to the repetition, resolution and reflection of the mantra. On the last
day, at the end of the process, sit quietly for one hour of meditation.
Seclusion is actually recommended for all who are undergoing awakening of kundalini. At
that time it is best to retire from active life and family environments for at least 45 days.
Unless you are in semi-seclusion from the world at the time of awakening, as well as having
strange experiences and hallucinations, you may have peculiar doubts, fears, anger and strong
passions.
Sadhus live in seclusion because when there are interactions with people, so many thought
currents move in the mind. Mixing with people, talking and gossiping create crosscurrents of
love, hatred, infatuation, likes and dislikes, restlessness, worry and anxiety, desires and
passions. Therefore, if you are practising a lot of sadhana or you are facing the awakening of
kundalini, do not have very much interaction with people. Then you will be spared a lot of
mental turmoil.
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Chapter 7
Diet for Kundalini Awakening
When the awakening of kundalini takes place it is important to have the correct diet, as
food influences the mind and your nature. At the time of awakening, certain physiological
changes occur in the body, particularly in the digestive system, and the digestive process is
frequently disturbed, or hunger vanishes completely. Therefore, a kundalini aspirant has to be
very careful about his diet.
Scientific observations have shown that the awakening of kundalini is generally
accompanied by a state of nervous depression. The inner body temperature undergoes erratic
changes and drops so much that it becomes much lower than the outer body temperature.
Metabolism slows down and sometimes it even stops completely. Consumption of oxygen
also falls. Therefore, when you are experiencing kundalini awakening your diet must be very
light and easy to assimilate.
The best diet for a kundalini yogi is boiled food. Crushed wheat, barley, lentils and dal are
excellent foods, particularly when they are in a liquid form. Fats and greasy foods should be
avoided and protein should be kept to a minimum. This will take any strain off the liver,
because when the mind undergoes a crisis, the liver is overtaxed.
It is good to increase the carbohydrates in your diet, eg. rice, wheat, maize, barley, potato,
etc., because carbohydrates help to maintain the inner body temperature and they do not
require much heat to digest. Eggs, chicken and other heavy foods do not produce much heat
themselves, but they require heat for digestion.
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The yogic diet is macrobiotic, it is simple, plain and relatively bland. From time to time,
fruits and roots can also be taken, but they are not essential.
Dietary misconceptions
A great misunderstanding has taken place in the last twenty to thirty years, and that is that
a yogi should only take milk, fruit and raw vegetables. On the basis of personal observations,
trials and errors, I can never accept that this is correct. There are certain foods which are not
meant for the human body at all. If you analyze your digestive and salivary secretions and the
durability of the mucus membranes in the alimentary canal, you will find that they are not
really meant for digesting meat and uncooked foods. Whereas carnivorous animals have short
intestines so their food can be expelled quickly, before fermentation takes place, we have very
long intestines (36 feet in length) and our food should take eighteen hours to pass through the
body. Because well cooked vegetarian food is less likely to ferment, and we can keep it in our
intestines for a full eighteen hours, it is the best for the human digestive tract.
Of course, this is not to say that people who take a non-vegetarian diet cannot awaken
their kundalini, as history indicates otherwise. There have been many Christian, Tibetan and
Sufi saints who awakened their kundalini although they took a meat diet. And we can't say
what Christ, Moses, Mohammed and Buddha ate because we haven't seen. However, from
scientific observations made in the event of kundalini awakening, we know what is likely to
occur in our body. At certain periods we may not be able to digest raw foods and there may be
days when the body cannot even accept water. Therefore, during the period of kundalini
awakening, please take a diet which can be easily assimilated and eat the bare minimum for
existence. Do not live to eat, but eat to live.
The essence of food
The food we eat is not merely to satisfy our taste. Every food item has an essence in it, and
in yoga we call this sattva. Sattva means the ultimate essence of food, but please do not
mistake this for vitamins or minerals. Sattva is the more subtle form of food. When you eat
for the sake of taste or enjoyment, instead of attaining the sattva you only get the gross things.
That is why the yogis and saints of all traditions have always lived on the minimum possible
food during periods of sadhana.
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When we overeat we create a burden for the digestive system, and when the digestive
system is overburdened we are unable to extract the sattva from the food. Sattva is a substance
which nourishes the thoughts and nervous system. When the thoughts are fed with sattva they
are more refined and pure, and one is able to live in higher consciousness. Therefore, it is
beneficial for a sadhaka to fast from time to time. When the body is kept light and pure it is
far more capable of extracting the sattva from food.
The use of condiments
In the diet for kundalini aspirants, condiments have a very important role to play.
Condiments such as coriander, cumin seeds, tumeric, aniseed, black pepper, green pepper,
cayenne, cloves, mustard seed, cardamom, cinnamon and so on are also called digestives as
they aid digestion. These substances are not spices for taste; they are condiments which have
the same properties as the enzymes in the body, and by helping to break down the food for
digestion, they conserve vital energy and help to maintain the body's internal temperature.
When we talk about diet, let us not talk about it in terms of puritanism. We must
remember only one thing in this case, to be sure the body is capable of digesting all the food.
Having made a thorough study of natural foods and having tried them on myself, I have come
to the conclusion that a combination of natural and macrobiotic foods is best. I have also
discovered that instead of cooking the food in your stomach, it is best to cook it properly in
the pan. Five or six condiments should be added during cooking to liberate the enzymes and
chemicals which enhance digestion. The combination of heat, condiments and enzymes
breaks down the food into smaller and more basic components, thus making it easier to digest.
Yoga and diet are independent sciences
Although diet is an independent science, it is definitely related to every system of yoga. Of
course the ideal diet varies from yoga to yoga. A hatha yogi practising shankhaprakshalana
will not be able to eat lots of red peppers and black peppers or he'll die. The diet regime for a
karma yogi, a bhakta yogi, raja yogi, hatha yogi and kriya yogi will not be the same.
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A bhakta yogi can eat all types of sweets and confectionary, consume cheese, butter, milk,
etc. and he can eat and eat because his metabolism is very fast. Similarly, a karma yogi can
take cheese, coffee, raw foods or cooked food, and even a little bit of champagne, because he
is working hard physically and his metabolism is also very fast. But in raja yoga and kundalini
awakening, the metabolism becomes slow and you have to be very careful about your diet and
how much you consume.
Over the years I have done a lot of work on food because I run ashrams where I have to
manage all the affairs in relation to money, labor and the spiritual welfare of the ashram
inmates. As it is not possible to provide different types of diets for the various aspirants of
yoga, I have evolved two wonderful foods which suit everybody. One is for those who like
rice and the other is for those who prefer wheat. You either cook the rice with dal (pulses such
as lentils), vegetables and a few condiments, or you pound the wheat, add all the same
ingredients to that and cook it well. I call this integrated kichari. You can add anything to it
and it's alright. This is the cheapest and most nutritious of all the foods I have eaten in any
part of the world. You can also eat as much kichari as you want without any fear, because it
digests so smoothly. This diet is suitable for all yoga practitioners and it is ideal for those who
are ranging high in spiritual life and are about to merge into the ultimate state.
For one who is serious about yoga and spiritual aspirations, diet is as important as yoga,
but if you are only worried about your diet and are not practising yoga, then you are a fanatic.
Chapter 8
Risks and Precautions
The awakening of kundalini is a very important, pleasant and historical experience in the
life of man. If you can see and experience something more than what you can generally see
and experience through your senses, you are indeed fortunate. But at the same time, if you
have such experiences without adequate preparation, you may be startled, frightened and
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confused. Therefore, before the actual awakening of kundalini occurs, it is better to
experience some mild awakenings in the chakras first.
Nowadays, if you travel by motor car at a very high speed, you do not really feel anything
unusual, but if a man did it a hundred years ago when there was no adaptation to speed, he
would have felt very giddy. Similarly, if a sudden awakening takes place and you are not used
to the experience, you may become disoriented. You will not be able to cope with the radical
changes in perception or with the contents of the unconscious mind welling up into the
consciousness. But if you have been practising hatha yoga and meditation, and have
experienced slight awakenings previously, you will be better able to cope with it.
When the body in totality is purified by the practices of shatkarmas and hatha yoga, when
the mind is purified by mantra, when the pranas are brought under control through the
practices of pranayama and the diet is pure and yogic, at that time, awakening of kundalini
takes place without any danger or accident. But with those who are in a hurry to awaken
kundalini and who take to any practice in a haphazard manner without going through the
preliminaries, and who do not take care of their diet, there will be some problems because
they do not know how to control and utilize the fantastic energy they are unleashing.
The question of risk
There are so many whispers about the dangers of awakening and dark hints about people
going crazy or developing disturbing powers. But everything in life is risky and there are far
more dangers in ordinary daily life than you will encounter on the path of kundalini. Every
time you walk across the street or travel by car or plane, you take a risk. In the pursuit of
desires, passions and ambitions, people take great risks every day without thinking twice
about it. Yet they allow the relatively minor risks of kundalini to deter them from pursuing the
supreme goal of higher consciousness.
When a woman discovers she is pregnant, does she think it might be dangerous for her to
have a child? She might die! She may have to have a cesarian! She may lose her figure for
life! She may become seriously ill! Does a woman think like this and decide she doesn't want
a child at all? No. Then why to think like this about kundalini?
Awakening of kundalini is the birth of Christ, Krishna, Buddha or Mohammed. It is one of
the greatest events of human life, just as for a mother, to have a baby is one of the major and
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happiest events of her life, no matter what the consequences. In the same way, awakening of
kundalini is one of the greatest events in the life of a yogi. It is the destiny of mankind, so
why not go ahead with it?
Without involving yourself in a risk, nothing great in life can be achieved. Every great
yogi, scientist, explorer and adventurer has faced risks. And so he has invented, discovered or
made progress. Those people who are thinking and talking about risks are cowards, and such
people should not even practise yoga. It is better that they eat, drink, be merry and die
unenlightened.
Kundalini practices are certainly no more dangerous than many of the activities people
engage in for the sake of thrills, sport or altered states of consciousness. The risks are not
nearly as great as those associated with LSD, hashish, marijuana and alcohol, which are
commonly used by many people in their everyday life. Those who practise kundalini yoga are
assured of attaining states of expanded consciousness which are safer, smoother, more
comprehensible and longer lasting than anything that can be obtained through the use of
psychedelics.
The science of kundalini yoga has its own inbuilt safety mechanisms. If you perform
asanas or pranayama incorrectly, nature will immediately send a warning and compel you to
stop practising. In the same way, when kundalini awakening takes place and you are not
prepared to face it, nature puts obstacles in your way. If ever you become scared and want to
stop the process of kundalini awakening, all you have to do is revert to a gross lifestyle. Just
revise all your passions, dreams and worldly ambitions.
Unless you are an extremely introverted person, you can proceed along the path of
kundalini yoga without fear. If you are hypersensitive, have difficulty communicating with
others and live within a sort of fantasy world, you will find kundalini yoga upsetting and even
dangerous. Such people should not practise kundalini yoga or any techniques for exploring
the inner world until they have developed the ability to strike fearlessly and confidently
through the outer world. This also applies to timid and dependent people. For all these
individuals, karma yoga is the way. They should lead a life of unselfish service in the world
and develop non-attachment and maximum awareness.
Fear of mistakes
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Some people worry about kundalini ascending through the wrong nadi, but there is no
danger here, because if kundalini enters through any other nadi, the whole circuit will fuse. If
kundalini has awakened but a chakra is blocked, say swadhisthana, then kundalini will only
roam about in mooladhara and all the instincts of that chakra will develop. You will become a
high class animal for a while and may develop some siddhis. If there is any obstruction in the
chakras beyond that, the energy will be blocked for a long time, affecting the psychological
constitution. And if kundalini enters into the pranic nadi, pingala, it could set the whole brain
into turmoil. However, this doesn't usually happen. Nature intervenes, and unless sushumna is
clear, the chakra will not open and the energy will not be able to move further.
Mistakes do occur, but not in average individuals, because they are scared of something
wrong happening somewhere. If they are practising and suddenly they feel they're going
crazy, they will discontinue their practices immediately. So, every individual possesses a sort
of fear. Before anything wrong can happen totally, man takes care of himself. However, there
are some blockheads and very stuffy people who plod on no matter what happens. They don't
care about the consequences and these are the people who generally get themselves into
trouble.
Kundalini awakening and illness
If you take care of all the requirements, then no illness will come to you. However, many
people are very hasty and impatient. When they want to make money, they want to make it
overnight, quickly, and the same psychology is transferred into spiritual life; quick money and
quick realization. With this impatience, sometimes we overstep the necessary prerequisites.
Some people develop weakness of the lower limbs because they have not trained their
body through hatha yoga. Some people develop digestive disorders because they have not
understood the relationship between food and the temperature of the body. Therefore, the
prerequisites have to be observed. Those who suffer do so not because of the kundalini
awakening, but because they have not harmonized the nervous system.
Through hatha yoga you must create a balance between the two forces in the physical
body, the pranic and the mental. Even in modern times we say that a balance between the
sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems is absolutely essential to develop the
higher faculties of the brain. When there is an imbalance between these two forces, that is, if
one is predominant, the other is subservient, then you are supplying one energy in excess and
the other energy is deficient. This inevitably leads to sickness.
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Airing the unconscious
In the course of your practices there may be isolated awakenings in ajna chakra, in which
the awareness enters the realms of the unconscious mind and you see figures, symbols and
even monsters or benevolent beings. You may hear or experience many inexplicable things,
but they are all simply products of your own unconscious mind and should be regarded as
nothing more. With the awakening of psychic consciousness, the symbols belonging to your
own personality come out. When this happens you may have a problem understanding, but
just remember, these kinds of expressions are simply parts of your being which have been
lying in reserve and they have to 'come out for airing'.
You should not be afraid of kundalini awakening but you must be prepared for the events
that may occur. Otherwise, if you have a weak mind and are confronted by fear, it could lead
to mental derangement. So, before you attempt kundalini awakening you should undergo a
process of thought purification and develop understanding of your way of thinking.
When the prerequisites for kundalini awakening are followed properly, psychological and
psycho-emotional symptoms do not occur. In fact, all these things happen before the actual
event of kundalini awakening. But of course, when the awakening takes place, if the aspirant
is not maintaining the proper discipline that is required, he is bound to get into some
psychological cobwebs.
The awakening of kundaiini should never be equated with obsessions or neurosis. When
an explosion takes place it brings out whatever was in you. If you have a personality full of
obsessions and mental blocks, that's going to explode. Therefore, before one attempts
awakening of kundalini, he must have arrived at a point of purity of consciousness or clarity
of mind, chitta shuddhi.
Purity of consciousness is not a religious terminology. You may have pure thoughts in
your mind but you may not be pure at all. You may be thinking about purity, chastity,
compassion, charity and generosity, but in the subterranean plane of your personality there
may be conflicts or other unresolved mental problems. When the mind enters into meditation
or samadhi, this subterranean level comes up to the surface. You begin to see all the debris
and you feel it and enact it. This can happen at any time, when you're dreaming, when you are
in a state of craziness and when kundalini is waking.
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That is why a relentless effort should be made to render the mind free from all the
disturbing archetypes or samskaras before you try to handle this project. An integration of
karma, bhakti and raja yoga, tempered with hatha and gyana yoga, must be adopted first.
Purity and impurity
Although I recommend chitta shuddhi, I know that many people have an obsession about
purity and impurity. They keep thinking they are impure and therefore they shouldn't try to
awaken kundalini. But when the sun rises, what happens to the darkness? Purity and impurity
are ethical and moral concepts created by society and religion. Awakening of kundalini is
awakening of the great light in man. It rises like the sun, and when it can be seen on the
horizon there will be no darkness, no pain, suffering, disappointment or impurity.
Siddhis and the ego factor
When one has been practising kundalini yoga for a couple of years and suddenly he starts
having beautiful experiences, he tends to think he is superior to everybody else and may even
consider himself as godly. To protect yourself from this, you must place yourself in the
caliber of chela or disciple. A disciple remains a disciple, there is no promotion for him. Many
people think that after twelve years of discipleship they will be promoted to guruhood, but
this is not so.
In the path of kundalini yoga it is very important that you live the life of a disciple even
after the awakening of kundalini, and not only after that, but even when Shiva and Shakti
have united.
Kundalini yoga is the means for attaining supreme awareness and enlightenment, but if
you get lost in the beauty of kundalini, you may not reach enlightenment. When at a certain
stage the mind becomes very efficient and siddhis such as telepathy, clairvoyance, hypnotism,
spiritual healing, etc. manifest, some aspirants take that to be a divine accomplishment and
begin to think 'Now I am God.' Then, in the name of good to everybody, they start doing all
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sorts of funny magic. This feeds the ego, and in the course of time, their ignorance becomes
very great.
There is extreme danger here and many aspirants get caught. Their ego becomes
tremendously gross and they develop a strong feeling of grandeur. And that's as far as they
get. Although there is nothing really wrong with psychic powers, those who seek them must
know that they can completely destroy their spiritual consciousness if they are not disciplined.
You can become lost in these powers just as some people get lost in money, beauty, intellect
and so on. These parapsychological attainments are momentary; they live with you for only a
short period of time and then you lose them. They are only additional properties to be
experienced and left behind in the wake of the dawning of supreme awareness.
It is important to remember what Patanjali has said in the Yoga Sutras - "All these psychic
manifestations are obstacles which block the free flow of consciousness towards samadhi."
Two opposing forces
In the realms of higher consciousness, there are both divine and demonical forces. Both
these forces can be brought down to earth by the same techniques. Without higher awareness,
when the awakening of the chakras begins, the knowledge and destructive energy of the atom
bomb might be unleashed rather than the wisdom and spiritual power of the rishis. When
kundalini awakens in a person with no dispassion and discrimination, who does not seek
liberation and does not know the reality of this world, the consequences can be disastrous.
Ultimately, that person will destroy himself, and possibly many others in the process.
Therefore, a kimdalini aspirant must constantly work towards the development of higher
awareness. To be conscious of the unconscious is very difficult. When your awareness is
heavy and burdened with tension and confusion, it cannot survive for long in the unconscious
state. But when your consciousness is light and clear, it can penetrate into the unconscious
like a sharp and speedy arrow, successfully navigating past all the danger zones and emerging
with higher knowledge.
Anyone who has the urge to expand his or her awareness is a pioneer. In this we are
emerging from the confines of a mental prison in which the human race has been incarcerated
for millennia. It is the privilege of each one of us to participate in this historic adventure, and
we must be prepared for any eventuality. Kundalini yoga, if practised with dedication,
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patience and appropriate guidance, is the safest and most pleasant way of awakening that can
ever take place in our lives.
With the awakening of kundalini, life becomes smooth. Plans and projects become clear,
decisions become accurate, and the personality becomes dynamic and powerful. Therefore, do
not be afraid of any risk. Once the awakening takes place, all your limitations will be
overcome, because darkness can never exist in the face of light and limitations can never exist
in the face of kundalini.
Chapter 9
Kundalini and Madness
Many individuals who experience the awakening of kundalini behave in a peculiar way;
they think in a different style or pattern. They may see auras and visions, feel peculiar in the
body, hear strange sounds and talk all sorts of nonsense. In society our brains are structured in
a certain way; there is discipline and control which inhibit us from expressing ourselves
freely. When the awakening of kundalini takes place, this conditioning is withdrawn and the
lid is completely lifted from the mind. That is why the actions and words of those people who
are undergoing kundalini awakening appear so nonsensical, deviant and oftentimes mad to the
ordinary man.
During kundalini awakening and madness, people may manifest the same symptoms, but
on closer examination a difference can be detected. Similarly, if you film a man laughing out
of madness and a man laughing with his friends, they will look almost the same, but they are
different. Most of us have probably read stories about the avadhoots and fakirs of India and
the Sufi and Christian mystics. Externally, these God-intoxicated ones looked crazy, but if
you were with them, they would have appeared and proved to be very clear. The inner
consciousness of such people is absolutely lucid, organized and disciplined.
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A great misunderstanding
Mystics throughout the ages have been persecuted for their experiences, which to the
normal mundane consciousness are insanity, yet to the sage are ecstasy. Socrates was
poisoned because he did not behave normally. Christ was crucified on the cross because his
teachings were not understood. Al-Hallaj, the Sufi saint, was skinned alive because he spoke
the truth without fear of the society, Joan of Arc and the witches of Salem were burned at the
stake, as were many others. All have been persecuted and harassed by the mundane populace
for their vision, which arose as a result of inner work. Due to this lack of understanding, many
of the esoteric doctrines were hidden from the majority of people.
Of course, this was long ago. We live in a more enlightened world today, far from the
barbarous atrocities of the past, or do we? War and poverty still exist, as do insanity and
madness. People who are shown to be crazy, relative to the norms of our society, are locked
up until they are 'better'. Yet, by what criteria are they judged insane? How do we know the
difference between insanity and the ecstasy of enlightenment? Is it by the superficial external
appearances that we sense with our limited sensory apparatus, or is it by some deeper inner
fear that we are motivated to judge others insane because they do not behave like the
majority? Some of the people in the west who are locked up as insane would be recognized in
the east as having undergone higher spiritual experiences. Therefore, it is now up to science to
determine some definite, concrete and reliable ways to differentiate between the broken,
insane mind and the opening, enlightened mind.
Spiritual experiences in the east and west
Knowledge of the spiritual experience has been lost in the west. During the last lew
centuries, many unfortunate people whose kundalini had awakened were sent to mental
hospitals and given drugs, electric shocks and other inappropriate treatments. The scientists
and doctors believed that the awakening was an abnormal kind of behavior, and no one was
able to accept or handle it, not even the person's immediate family or closest friends. That is
why, in the last two hundred years, there have been so few great personalities in the west; they
have all been committed to mental hospitals or they have remained quiet to avoid that fate.
In India the situation is quite different. There, when an individual expresses some
abnormal symptoms, makes some very peculiar gestures or speaks of extraordinary dreams, it
is understood that he is experiencing events beyond the mind. The Hindu belief is that the
consciousness is not the finished product of nature, but is subject to evolution, and between
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one state of being and the next, there is a crisis. And when strange symptoms occur in
someone, they believe he is experiencing that crisis and that his consciousness is undergoing
evolution. If a child's total personality is devoted to God and he can experience things beyond
the mind, then his whole family is purified and such a child is universally respected.
A spiritual awakening or madness?
Though the process of spiritual awakening usually occurs without incident or interruption,
it may happen that blockages and impurities in the body create symptoms which mimic
various neurological and psychiatric conditions. These problems necessitate careful diagnosis
to differentiate kundalini arousal and pathology.
It is actually very simple to distinguish between a mental or psychic phenomenon and a
mental sickness, however much the symptoms may overlap: mental illness never develops in
people who are free from conflict. If a person is undergoing a problem in his personal life,
perhaps due to a death, loss of property or emotional breakdown, psychotic behavior can
develop. Fantasies can take form and one's own psychological volition can manifest in the
form of psychic energy. On the other hand, if there are no conflicts, anxieties or strong
crosscurrents in a person's life, he cannot possibly have any mental disease. Suppose you have
no apparent problems, no personal or social difficulties, but still you are having some strange
suprasensual experiences. In a case like this, there should be no doubt about what is taking
place.
A mad person doesn't have a constant and consistent flow of experience and his awareness
is very dissipated. He is both disorganized externally and completely blinded internally. On
the other hand, the awareness of a person who is awakened is constant and consistent.
Whereas a person with an awakened consciousness can make accurate decisions and
judgements, a crazy person cannot. Madness and spiritual awakening may both be
characterized by a certain lack of control, but the spiritually awakened person is guided by a
higher consciousness while the mad person is not.
When some suprasensual experience is taking place, it is important to consult an
experienced person who has knowledge of illumination and also knows about madness. A
guru can make the correct judgement and determine whether the brain has begun a process of
regression or is actually progressing along transcendental lines. If there is some organic
damage in the brain, it can be treated, but if the symptoms are spiritual, the person is initiated
and given something to practise so his behavior is streamlined. He will not be forced into
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married life or any other social roles which are unsuitable for him. Instead, he will be exposed
to saintly personalities and teachings.
If this type of guidance and support for the experience is not obtained, it is very easy to
end up in a mental hospital, or even a prison. However, scientists are now broadening their
description of the spectrum of human behavior and they are discovering that behavior can be
psychic or spiritual in origin as well as psychological or physical. Everybody should
understand one very important point. Awakening of kundalini should never be equated with
abnormal psychological behavior because awakening of kundalini is a process of jumping out
of the mind.
Chapter 10
Four Forms of Awakening
When we talk about awakening we should not confuse awakening of kundalini with other
forms of awakening. Awakening of the chakras is completely different from awakening of
kundalini. Awakening of sushumna is also quite a different event, and awakening of
mooladhara chakra is not awakening of kundalini. Even if all the chakras from mooladhara up
to ajna are awakened this does not mean that kundalini is awakened.
In the systematic process of awakening kundalini, the first step is to purify ida and pingala
nadis and create harmony in their functioning. Next, all the chakras have to be awakened.
Then sushumna nadi is awakened, and when there is a clear pathway for its ascent, kundalini
can be awakened.
If the first three steps have been taken, awakening of kundalini will only have positive
effects. But if they have been neglected and kundalini awakens, there will definitely be some
negative results. Supposing you have awakened kundalini before sushumna awakening has
taken place, then the shakti will not find a channel towards Shiva. It will remain obstructed in
mooladhara chakra and will create tremendous sexual and neurotic problems. This is a
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negative result because you wanted to unite with Shiva and have higher experiences, whereas
now you are experiencing the grosser things. And if the chakras are not awakened before
kundalini, the shakti will get blocked in one of the chakras and remain stagnant, possibly for
years. Some siddhis may develop and you may not be able to transcend them at all. This is
also a negative effect.
Each form of awakening has its own psychic potential. Every nerve and fiber of your body
is psychic; it is capable of producing psychic manifestations. There is a possibility of
awakening the entire physical body. Every cell of the body is one individual. You are the
macro-cosmic body for that microcosmic individual.
Step I: Disciplining ida and pingala
Ida and pingala nadis are responsible for the mundane existence. Pingala conducts the life
that is in your body and ida conducts the consciousness. These two nadis respectively feed the
two hemispheres of the brain which in turn control every activity of the body. It is not
awakening of these nadis we aim towards, but discipline. As you know, ida and pingala
function alternately and directly influence the temperature of the body, digestive and
hormonal secretions, the brainwaves and all the bodily systems.
Ida and pingala function according to a natural cycle, but on account of poor eating habits
and inharmonious lifestyles, the natural cycle is often disturbed. Sometimes one nadi
predominates and the other is suppressed. This leads to mental and physical imbalances and
generally results in disease. Therefore, ida and pingala must be disciplined or made to
function according to the laws of nature. Only when there is harmony between these two
nadis can sushumna be awakened.
So, through the practices of hatha yoga, pranayama and raja yoga, the nadis should be
purified and disciplined. The best practice for this is actually nadi shodhana pranayama - nadi
purifying pranayama.
Step 2: Awakening the chakras
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From incarnation to incarnation the yoga we have been practising may have already
awakened the lower chakras. Although most of us try to awaken mooladhara, swadhisthana,
etc. it may not be necessary to awaken them because we may have evolved even beyond
manipura on account of our efforts in a previous life. It is even possible that kundalini may
have ascended through the chakras but you don't know it because you haven't noticed any
symptoms. However, in any case, it is essential that all the chakras must be awakened before
we make an attempt to awaken sushumna.
If the chakras are not purified, then purification of the nadis will not serve any purpose. If
the electrical junctions are not connected or properly organized, even if you have the best
wiring available, how will the electrical energy be distributed? The chakras are the junctions
from which the nadis, like cables, transmit the energy to different parts of the body.
Every point, speck or fiber of the body is directly related to one of the chakras. If you
experience pain in any part of the body, the sensation will go to the chakra related to that
particular area. This means your whole body is connected with one of the chakras. For
example, the urinary, excretory and reproductive systems are fed by swadhisthana chakra.
Besides this, the sexual organs are connected to mooladhara chakra. The digestive system,
small intestine, large intestine, appendix, pancreas, duodenum, stomach and liver are all
connected to manipura chakra. The heart and lungs are fed by anahata chakra.
However, in most people, the chakras beyond manipura are dormant. Because mooladhara
chakra is the highest chakra in animal evolution, it is already functioning in most people. That
is why everybody has a very acute sexual awareness and sex has become one of the most
important events in man's life. Therefore, most of our social traditions are based upon this
particular human requirement. The mere fact that today's society is utilizing the five tattwas of
tantra (meat, fish, wine, grain and sexual interaction) in everyday life means that in most
people, kundalini is somewhere between mooladhara and swadhisthana. Once kundalini
leaves swadhisthana and ascends to manipura and anahata, you no longer need the five
tattwas.
If you are stuck in mooladhara or swadhisthana, you will need to purify the higher chakras
and bring them into operation. There are many ways of doing it. For those who are strong in
mind, there are some higher practices. By concentration on bhrumadhya you can awaken one
chakra, by the practice of uddiyana bandha you can awaken another, by practising mantra,
your mantra or any bija mantra, you can awaken almost all the chakras one by one, and as a
result of this awakening, you can have very good psychic experiences which you can easily
handle. In my opinion, it is safer to awaken the chakras by the mild methods.
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The asanas are intended to create mild awakening in the chakras. For example,
sarvangasana will awaken vishuddhi, matsyasana will awaken anahata and bhujangasana will
awaken swadhisthana. By awakening the chakras mildly, you will not have any jolting
experiences. Sometimes, when a chakra awakens suddenly, you can have the experience of
lower lives. This means you can be assailed by fear, anxiety, greed, passion, depression, etc.
Each chakra is symbolized by a certain animal, indicating a type of animal consciousness,
and if sudden awakening of a chakra takes place, you may exhibit some of the animal
emotions in either a mild or very strong way. For instance, fear is not a human emotion, nor is
infatuation or violence. Of course, man is trying to expel the animal from him, but at the same
time he is maintaining it. Therefore, care must be taken not to give an explosive manifestation
to the awakening of the chakras.
Step 3: Awakening sushumna
In order to purify and awaken sushumna, a lot of work has to be done and you must be
ready to cope with experiences that are more intense than those associated with chakra
awakening. These experiences are beyond logic. They are not even real and they cannot be
explained or properly understood. If the chakras are awakened, ida and pingala are balanced
and the other nadis are also purified, but there is an obstruction in sushumna, then the
awakening of kundalini will not fulfil its purpose.
Actually, I don't believe ida and pingala nadis are inferior to sushumna. Awakening of
pingala nadi will awaken one portion of the brain and awakening of ida will awaken another
portion. However, when kundalini enters sushumna, it affects the whole brain.
In the ancient texts of tantra it has been clearly indicated that it does not matter if
kundalini enters another passageway. If there is an awakening in pingala, one becomes a
healer or a siddha, one who has control over nature, matter and the mind. When there is
awakening in ida, one can predict things; he becomes a prophet. But when sushumna
awakens, kundalini ascends straight to sahasrara and one becomes a jivanmukta, a liberated
soul.
So, hatha yoga and pranayama are prescribed for the awakening of sushumna. There are
also other ways, but kriya yoga is the best, particularly the practices of maha mudra and maha
bheda mudra. For awakening of sushumna, ida and pingala have to be suppressed. Thus you
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can see the importance of practising kumbhaka, breath retention. When both nadis are
suppressed in kumbhaka, immediately after you'll find that both nadis are flowing
simultaneously. It is at this time that kundalini should awaken.
Chapter 11
The Descent of Kundalini
Everybody talks about the ascent of kundalini, but few ever discuss the descent. When the
descent of kundalini occurs, it means the lower mental plane of the human being is no longer
influenced by the ordinary mind, the supermind takes over instead. This higher form of
consciousness rules the body, mind and senses and directs your life, thoughts and emotions.
Kundalini is henceforth the ruler of your life. That is the concept of descent.
The whole process after union
When Shiva and Shakti unite in sahasrara, one experiences samadhi, illumination occurs in
the brain and the silent areas begin to function. Shiva and Shakti remain merged together for
some time, and during this period there is a total loss of consciousness pertaining to each
other. At that time a bindu evolves. Bindu means a point, a drop, and that bindu is the
substratum of the whole cosmos. Within that bindu is the seat of human intelligence and the
seat of the total creation. Then the bindu splits into two and Shiva and Shakti manifest again
in duality. When ascension took place it was only the ascent of Shakti, but now, when
descension takes place, Shiva and Shakti both descend to the gross plane and there is again
knowledge of duality.
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Those who have studied quantum physics will have a better understanding of this as it is
difficult for everyone to understand from the philosophical point of view. After total union
there is a process of corning down the same pathway you ascended. The gross consciousness
which became fine, again becomes gross. That is the concept of divine incarnation or avatara.
The non-dual experience of samadhi
When one attains the highest pinnacles of samadhi, purusha and prakriti, or Shiva and
Shakti are in total union and only adwaita exists, non-dual experience. At this time, when
there is no subject/object plus distinction, it is very difficult for one to differentiate. He may
look like an idiot and not know it, or he may appear to be a great scholar and not be aware of
that. Whether he is talking to a man or a woman he does not know, he sees no difference. He
may even be associating with spiritual or divine people without being aware of that, because
at this point of time his consciousness is reduced to a level of innocence just like a baby.
So, in the state of samadhi you are a baby. A baby can't tell the difference between a man
and a woman because he has no physical or sexual distinction. He can't distinguish a scholar
from an idiot and he may not even see any difference between a snake and a rope. He can
hold a snake just as he holds a rope. This only happens when union is taking place.
When Shiva and Shakti descend to the gross plane, that is mooladhara chakra, they
separate and live as two entities. There is duality in mooladhara chakra. There is duality in the
mind and senses and in the world of names and forms, but there is no duality in samadhi.
There is no seer or experiencer in the state of samadhi. There is nobody to say what samadhi
is like because it is a non-dual experience.
Why Shiva and Shakti both descend
It is very difficult to understand why Shiva and Shakti both descend to the gross plane
after having attained the highest union. What is the use of destroying the world and then
creating it again? What is the point of transcending the consciousness if you have to come
back to it again? Why bother to awaken kundalini and unite with Shiva in sahasrara if you
have to come down to mooladhara again? This is something very mysterious and we can well
ask, 'Why awaken kundalini at all?'
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Why build a mansion if you know you will have to burn it down when it is completed? We
actually create a lot of things that are ultimately going to be destroyed. So why do it at all? It
seems so crazy! We do so much sadhana to transcend the chakras and ascend from earth to
heaven. Then, when we reach paradise and become one with that great reality, we suddenly
decide to come back down. And not all alone, we bring the great one with us. It would be
easier to understand if Shakti came back alone and Shiva remained in heaven. Maybe when
Shakti is about to leave, Shiva says, 'Wait, I'm coming with you.'
A new existence on the gross plane
When kundalini descends, you come down to the gross plane with a totally transformed
consciousness. You live a normal life, associating with everybody and discharging your
worldly obligations like other people do. Maybe you even play the game of desires, passions,
cravings and such things. Maybe you play the game of victory and defeat, attachments and
infatuations, but you just play a game. You know it; you do everything as an actor. You are
not involved in it life and soul.
It is at this time the genius or the transformed consciousness manifests through you. You
don't have to think or plan how to perform miracles. You have to remember that you have
come down as a transformed quality of consciousness. You must remember that you are now
connected with those areas of the brain which were previously silent. And you must also
remember that you are linked with those reservoirs of knowledge, power and wisdom which
belong to the realm of the higher cosmos.
Until the descent is complete, such a man lives a very simple life, unnoticed and
unattended. Once the descent is complete he begins to play the game and people recognize
him as a divine incarnation. They see he is something special compared to everybody else and
they call him a guru. Such a person is actually a junior god.
Dealing with the issues of reality
When Shiva and Shakti descend to the gross level of awareness there is again duality. That
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is why the self-realized man is able to understand pain and all the mundane affairs of life. He
understands the whole drama of duality, multiplicity and diversity. Sometimes we ordinary
mortals are at a fix to understand how this man with the highest attainment is able to cope
with the hopeless dualities of life.
When I was about thirteen, I was also puzzled by this. There was a great lady saint who
was supposed to have attained the very highest state and I used to visit her with my elders. I
used to hear her discussing all the mundane and ordinary things of life - "How are you? How
is your child? Is he sick? Are you giving him medicines ? Why do you fight with your wife?"
I used to think, "If she is an enlightened lady she shouldn't talk about duality. How can she
understand duality if she is in unity?"
I never got an answer, but every man has his moments of experience in life and I have not
been an exception to that. I came to understand that Shiva and Shakti live on both planes and
this gross plane of duality is an expression and manifestation of the correlation of Shiva and
Shakti. This is precisely the reason why the great saints and mahatmas talk about charity,
compassion, love, etc. However, there is a period when they don't understand these things and
they don't care what happens to the world. They don't even know what is going on, who is
happy and who is suffering. But finally there is a great transformation. Shakti rules the matter
and Shiva rules the consciousness, and when they descend to the gross plane, Shakti continues
to rule the matter and Shiva, being consciousness, gives an understanding to the whole world.
Therefore, if ever we see a self-realized person discussing the trivialities of life and
dealing with the issues of reality, we should not be surprised.
Chapter 12
The Experiences of Awakening
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The awakening of kundalini is like a great explosion which transports a person into
another plane of being. No matter which spiritual path you follow, you must eventually reach
this domain. Ordinary consciousness and transcendental consciousness cannot be maintained
at the same time; it is necessary to pass through an intermediate zone of change, where
perceptions, feelings and experiences undergo a transformation. The adventure is always the
same; it is a journey through the border region between the known and the unknown. At this
time it is very important to recognize that this explosion signals a profound alteration in
consciousness. The complete process of awakening is comprised of several stages, as the
kundalini rises and passes through the various chakras. It takes quite some time to become
fully stabilized, but if one has a good understanding, the transition process can be managed
without any serious difficulties.
The preliminary awakening of kundalini is followed by the experience of light in
bhrumadhya, the eyebrow center. Usually this develops in a very mild way over an extended
period of time, and therefore does not precipitate any sudden agitation or disturbance. After
some time, the appetite for food and sleep gradually decreases and the mind becomes quieter.
There is another prior warning which heralds the awakening of kundalini. In yoga and
tantra it is very clearly indicated that when ida and pingala flow simultaneously for a long
period of time, and sushumna begins to flow, then it is time to prepare for a spiritual event.
Therefore, one should be conversant with swara yoga, the science of the breath cycle, and
keep a close watch over the breathing process. The breathing pattern in the nostrils normally
changes every fourth day, according to the cycles of the moon, but when both nostrils have
been functioning equally well for at least fifteen days, that is an advance warning of an
impending spiritual breakthrough.
An onslaught of experiences
When the actual awakening occurs there is an explosion in the realm of experience and
there are symptoms which are sometimes very difficult to understand. The most unique and
common experience is the release of energy like an electric shock from the bottom of the
spinal cord, as if it were connected to an electrical power point. This may be accompanied by
a burning sensation in mooladhara chakra and energy passing up and down through
sushumna. Sometimes you hear drums, flutes, bells, birds, celestial music, or you may even
think you can hear peacocks singing. You may have a very momentary sensation of sitting
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outside in the middle of a monsoon shower, and there can also be the sensation of dark clouds
in continual movement overhead and the sound of thunder.
At times your body feels so light and you may even visualize your spinal cord as a
fluorescent light. It is common to feel illumination within, as if hundreds of little lights were
burning inside your body. This is one side.
The other side is that all the anger, passions and suppressions come out. Sometimes you
are so filled with fear that you can't sleep, sometimes for days together you have nothing in
your mind but sex, at other times you can't think of anything but food. However, all these
symptoms pass within a few days or weeks.
Some people obtain psychic powers. They develop clairvoyance, telepathy, clairaudience,
psychotelekinesis, the ability to heal, etc., and this brings a lot of temptations. However, this
is a phase and it will pass away.
Sometimes you don't feel like eating for days together. You may not have any appetite for
fifteen to twenty days, and even if people try to force you to eat, you just can't. There is
sometimes a feeling of nervous depression, and you may just want to sit, or you may feel
restricted and closed in. There is a detachment from the normal emotions of life; for days
together you may live a life of utter dispassion. Nothing is interesting in life and everything
and everybody seems as dry as a desert. But at the same time, the mind becomes very
dynamic and appears to be formless. Various sensations, poetic emotions and artistic
perceptions also occur, such as visions of angels and divinities. All kinds of things can emerge
from the depths of the mind. However, these are just a few of the symptoms you may
experience, but all of them pass away quickly.
The storm always settles and then the yogi lives a very normal life. Externally his life
seems the same as anybody else's but his inner awareness is far greater and more vast.
Headaches and insomnia
Some aspirants experience terrible headaches when kundalini is awakening, however, this
does not mean that all headaches are related to kundalini. And not everybody will have
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headaches. Generally, those who have had married life do not have this experience. It is
usually only those who have not had any kind of sexual interactions who experience
headaches with the advent of kundalini awakening.
There is also another explanation about headaches. One-tenth of the brain is active and
nine-tenths are not. In some cases, when the silent areas of the brain begin to wake up, the
first symptom is headache. People have equated this experience with labor pain. Just as a
woman experiences labor pain when she is about to give birth to a child, when the silent areas
of the brain are about to become active and you are giving birth to spiritual consciousness,
there is also pain.
Therefore, one has to bear with this pain for some time, but it will inevitably settle down.
Of course you can reduce the pain by adjusting your diet and lifestyle, but under no
circumstances should you use sedatives, aspirins or pain relieving pills.
It is also likely that an aspirant will experience insomnia. However, yogis don't call it
insomnia. They say, 'Why should I sleep?' If you love a person very much and he stays with
you and does not allow you to sleep, will you call that insomnia? So, all the people who do
not sleep are not yogis. Only those people are yogis who do not sleep and are happy about it,
because yogis have an entirely different attitude. They say one-third of life is wasted in
sleeping.
So, when kundalini awakens in a yogi and consciousness is constant and consistent, and
there is no waking, sleeping and dreaming, they are very happy about it. Therefore, insomnia
does not usually bother a person who has awakened kundalini. However, if you are disturbed
by your inability to sleep, you should never resort to sleeping pills or tranquillizers. It is also
not necessary that you practise yoga to induce sleep. Just accept your sleeplessness and enjoy
it. You can do japa or meditation or just do some spiritual reflection. If this is not possible,
just lie down and let it happen as it will.
Experiencing the threefold awakenings
Each of the three forms of awakening - nadis, chakras and sushurnna is accompanied by its
own set of experiences. Many aspirants have psychic experiences and they think they indicate
the awakening of kundalini, but this is not so.
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When the chakras are awakening, the experiences one has are not so frightening and
critical. They are usually of a fantastic nature, very pleasant, hallucinating and comfortable.
Even if you have an experience of fear or terror, it does not shake your mind. When we have
experiences of our ishta devata or guru, or we have some experience in meditation or during
kirtan, and it feels very nice, that represents chakra awakening and not kundalini awakening.
When you experience a chakra awakening it is rather beautiful and leaves a comfortable or
blissful feeling. That is to encourage you to go further.
When awakening takes place in sushumna, you may feel or see a rod of light, or your
spinal cord may seem to be fully illumined from within. Such experiences are described by
the saints of different religions in their poems, songs and stories, which are unfortunately
understood by very few people today.
The awakening of sushumna can also bring some mind exploding experiences which are
sometimes very confusing. You can smell pleasant and unpleasant odors, you will hear
shrieks and screams as if the ghosts are crying, and there is a feeling of heat, creeping
sensations and pain in different parts of the body. You may get a high fever or manifest the
symptoms of some common disease or some baffling illness which medical experts find
difficult to analyze.
At the time of sushumna awakening, the quality and experience of the mind begin to
change. One has the experience of depression, anorexia and loneliness. You begin to realize
the inner essence. Matter appears to be nothing, and even your body feels as if it were only
made up of air. Or you may feel that you are not part of this physical body, you are someone
else. When you look at people, animals and the objects of nature - the flowers, trees, rivers
and mountains, etc., you feel a communication with them.
At this time, you also experience prophetic vision, but your visions or forewarnings may
not be clear and you only foresee the bad things - imminent perils, accidents, disasters and
catastrophies. Throughout the awakening one generally has an aversion to work and can't
really apply himself to anything.
It is actually best if an aspirant is near his guru at this time of awakening so he can explain
what is happening. The sadhaka is not merely making a transition from one state of mind to
another, he is actually jumping from one state to another. It is also very difficult for even an
expert guru to handle these matters unless the disciple has totally accepted him as his guru.
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Differentiating the experiences
You must remember that when you have certain visions and fantastic experiences, they do
not necessarily represent the awakening of kundalini or even sushumna nadi. They may
indicate chakra awakening or they may just be the expression of your archetypes or
samskaras. Because of your sadhana, concentration or one-pointedness, you may be allowing
an outlet for your deep-rooted samskaras to express themselves.
These experiences and those that accompany chakra awakening do not mean anything
when you try to assess them. I will give you an example. Many years ago, I was meditating on
the bank of the Ganga in Rishikesh and suddenly I had a very vivid experience. I saw the
whole earth split into two. It was a very clear vision, and I remember it even today, but this
vision had nothing to do with reality; I just had it. This was an experience of chakra
awakening.
When the actual awakening of kundalini takes place, it is a great event in man's life. Every
experience has a tangible proof, whether it is awakening of extrasensory perceptions or the
awakening of a particular kind of genius. It may be in the form of a philosophy you are able to
deliver to the people, a transformation in the physical elements of the body that you are able
to materialize, or a magnetic influence that you are able to cast on the masses of people as a
politician, musician or saint.
The awakening of kundalini has tangible, positive and concrete proofs. You cannot believe
your kundalini is awakened if you have no proof, because when the awakening of kundalini
takes place, you completely transcend the normal categories of mental awareness and the
scope of your knowledge becomes greater.
A scientist who jumped beyond the mind
There was a scientist named Eddington, and he was observing the determined laws of
electrons and trying to formulate a system, a law. He succeeded, the result being the law of
determinancy.
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However, once when he was studying the electrons, his vision changed entirely. He found
that the electrons were behaving in a very anarchical manner.There was no logic, system or
hypothesis behind their behavior. That was his vision, and he called it the law of
indeterminancy.
Once he was asked, 'What is this law which you have discovered behind the mathematical
and logical behavior of electrons?' He replied, 'It cannot be explained.' Someone asked, 'How
can you say that a movement in matter cannot be explained?' Eddington answered, 'It can be
explained if you can jump over the mind.'
The process of transition
There is a natural process of transition in which a man's consciousness evolves over the
course of millions of years. It takes place in the same way that a baby develops into a child, a
child into a young man, a young man into a middle-aged man, a middle-aged man into an old
man. Suppose a child of five suddenly transformed into an old man and he found he was tall,
grey haired and speaking like an old person. It would be very difficult for him to handle the
situation and to connect both the areas of his life. This is what generally happens with those
who awaken kundalini.
Their experiences are often imbalanced and extremely difficult to understand. Just imagine
how it would be if you felt your whole body burning as if it were in flames, or you kept
feeling that a snake was crawling through your body. Imagine what it would be like to look at
somebody's face and instead of seeing the person you see a ghost. You'd start to think you
were crazy! These are just a few of the bizarre experiences you could be confronted with.
However, with the awakening of kundalini, there is also an awakening of vairagya,
detachment. And when vairagya develops the turbulence settles, the awakening becomes
peaceful and the transition is smooth.
Chapter 13
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The Path of Kriya Yoga
Awakening of kundalini is very difficult. You can try the various yogic and religious
practices that have evolved throughout the ages, but they require a lot of self-discipline and
demanding austerities. There are so many do's and dont's that the average person finds
unpalatable. Therefore, the rishis of the tantric tradition evolved a series of practices that
could be easily adopted by every type of aspirant regardless of his lifestyle, habits, beliefs,
and so on. Of course there are many practices belonging to tantra, but of them all, kriya yoga
is considered to be the most powerful and suitable for the modern day man who is enmeshed
in this world.
For many years, knowledge of this system of yoga was revealed to very few. The practices
were mentioned in the tantric texts, but they were never clearly defined. Through a tradition,
the practices were handed down from guru to disciple. They were given to both householder
and monastic disciples, who soon discovered that through these techniques, kundalini became
a reality and a real experience in their lives.
The ultimate purpose of kriya yoga is to create awakening in the chakras, to purify the
nadis, and finally, to awaken the kundalini shakti. The kriyas are intended to awaken the
kundalini in stages and not abruptly. When kundalini awakens abruptly, the experiences you
have are very difficult to handle and you cannot understand what is happening to you. The
techniques of kriya yoga offer a smooth and relatively risk-free means of expanding your
awareness and awakening the dormant areas of the brain. Also, this system of kriya yoga
provides a means whereby you do not have to tackle the mind directly. Its practices are based
on hatha yoga, which aims at controlling the prana. Mind and prana interact with each other
and thereby, by controlling the prana, we can gain control of the mind.
Kriya yoga offers a unique approach
Kriya yoga means 'the yoga of practice, movement or action'. Unlike the various religious,
mystical or yogic practices which demand mental control, the special instruction in the system
of kriya yoga is, 'Do not worry about the mind.' If your mind is dissipating or if there are
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distractions in your mind and you are not able to concentrate even for one second, it does not
matter. You have only to continue with your practices, for even without confronting,
controlling or trying to balance the mind, you can still evolve.
This is an entirely new concept in spiritual life, and most people have probably never even
considered it. When they take to a religion, commence spiritual practices or go to gurus, the
first thing they are told is to control the mind. 'You should think like this. Don't think like that.
You should do like this. Don't do that. This is good. This is bad. That is evil. Do not sin.' And
so on.
People think that the mind is the greatest barrier in spiritual life, but this is a very wrong
and dangerous concept. The mind is a bridge between this and that, so how can it be a barrier?
An idiot thinks it is a barrier and he tries to destroy that bridge. Then when he has destroyed
it, he wonders how he'll get to the other side. This is the ironical fate of most people, and
unfortunately it is the religions, ethics and morality that are responsible. The people who are
less aware of ethics and morality have no mental problems. They are very good, happy-golucky people.
The seers and rishis of kriya yoga have said, 'Control of mind is not necessary. Just go on
practising the kriyas and let the mind do what it wants. In the course of time, the evolution of
consciousness will take you to that point where the mind will no longer trouble you.'
Dissipation of mind is not necessarily the fault of the mind. Distractions can be due to
hormonal imbalances, bad digestion, low influx of energy in the nervous system and so many
other things. Never blame the mind for its restlessness, and don't consider yourself to be an
impure, bad or inferior person because your mind jumps all over the place, thinking negative
things and what you consider to be evil thoughts, etc.
Everybody has negative thoughts and distractions of mind, even a compassionate and
charitable person, a peaceful man, a chaste and pure person. Dozens of factors could be the
cause of a distracted mind. Suppressing the mind and calling it back again and again is not the
way to concentrate the mind, it is a way to the mental hospital. After all, who suppresses or
calls back who? Are there two personalities or two minds in you? Is there one bad mind which
keeps wandering off and one good mind which tries to bring back the bad mind? No, there is
only one mind and you should not create a split by antagonizing the mind. If you do this, one
part of the mind becomes the dictator and controller and the other part becomes the victim.
Then you'll develop a great gap between two aspects of your mind and personality and within
a very short time you'll become totally schizophrenic.
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It is necessary to understand this point very well, because our religions, philosophies and
ways of thinking have not been very systematic, loving and tender in their approach to the
mind. We have always been led to believe that the mind is very mischievous, but this is a
grave mistake. Therefore, please try to redefine the mind and approach it scientifically.
Mind is not a psychological stuff, nor is it a thought process. Mind is energy. Anger,
passion, greed, ambition, etc. are waves of that energy. Through kriya yoga you are trying to
harness the energies of the mind, but you should not try to suppress this energy because it will
explode. And the more you suppress this energy the greater will be the ultimate explosion.
Kriya yoga is very clear in its approach to the mind. It emphasizes that you do not try to do
anything with the mind. If your body protests about maintaining a fixed posture, change it. If
your mind objects about closing the eyes, keep them open. But you must continue with the
kriya yoga practices because they have a direct effect on the deeper processes of the body
which are responsible for the state of your mind. Remember that the body affects the mind
and the mind affects the body.
We should not consider the techniques of kriya yoga as practices of concentration or
meditation as their aim is not mental control. The beauty of kriya yoga is that you have only
to remain relaxed and let the mind move naturally and spontaneously. Inner awareness will
then awaken, and in time, your mind will automatically become one-pointed.
A path for all
As you know, we are all aspirants of a different caliber. Some of us are tamasic, some are
rajasic and a very small number are sattvic. Of course we are not purely sattvic, rajasic or
tamasic. Predominantly we are one of these, but we retain traces of the other two gunas. The
tamasic mind has traces of rajo guna, and as it evolves, it retains traces of tamas, but it is now
predominantly rajasic. It also develops traces of sattva. As it evolves further, it becomes more
rajasic and may or may not have traces of tamas and sattva. Next, it becomes predominantly
sattvic, with traces of rajo and tamo gunas here and there. And then in its fifth stage of
evolution, the mind becomes totally sattvic, manifesting rajo and tamo gunas very rarely.
These five stages are like rungs on a ladder, representing the evolution of chitta or the
mind. The lowest rung is known as the inert mind. The second rung is the scattered mind, the
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third is the oscillating mind, the fourth is the one-pointed mind and the fifth is the controlled
mind.
Now, if you belong to one of the first three categories, and most of us do, after practising
hatha yoga, you should take to kriya yoga. If you belong to one of the last two categories, then
after hatha yoga, you can take to kriya yoga if you want, or you can follow the path of raja
yoga or any other path which asks you to concentrate through willpower. When you are at the
sattvic level you can deal with the mind through the mind, but when you are at the tamasic or
rajasic level, if you try to deal with the mind through the mind, you will cause a mental crisis.
In this world, there are very few sattvic people. Most of us have a very restless and
distracted mind, and we find it impossible to focus on one object or theme for very long. You
know what happens if you light a candle when the wind is blowing? The same thing happens
when most people try to concentrate. The fluctuations of the mind totally annihilate the onepointedness. So, the kriya yoga practices were designed for those people who are unable to
control, concentrate or stabilize their mind and for those who cannot sit in one posture for a
prolonged period of time.
Whether you are sattvic, rajasic or tamasic, the practices of hatha yoga should be taken up
first. A tamasic person needs hatha yoga to awaken his mind, body and personality. A person
who is rajasic needs hatha yoga to balance the solar and lunar energies in his body and mind.
And a person who is sattvic by temperament needs hatha yoga to help him awaken kundalini.
Hatha yoga is for everybody. And if you have been practising asanas, pranayama, mudras and
bandhas consistently for two years or more, then you are ready for kriya yoga. Hatha yoga is
the basis of kriya yoga.
The practices
There are many kriya yoga practices, but a combination of 20 is considered very important
and powerful. These 20 practices are divided into two groups. One group is to be done with
the eyes open, that is the first 9, and the other group, comprised of 11 practices, is to be done
with the eyes closed. For the first group of practices, the central instruction is, 'Do not close
your eyes.' Even though you feel very relaxed and have a tendency to go within, you must not
close your eyes. You can blink, you can rest, you can stop the practices for a minute, but each
practice must be done with the eyes open. This is a very important instruction for kriya yoga
practice.
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The first practice in kriya yoga is called vipareeta karani mudra. Vipareeta means reverse,
karani means action, so vipareeta karani mudra is a method for creating a reverse action. In
Hatha Yoga Pradipika and in the tantric texts, there is a wonderful statement regarding this
reverse action:
"From the moon the nectar emanates. When the sun consumes the nectar, the yogi
becomes old. His body decays and he dies. Therefore, by constant practice, the yogi should
try to reverse the process. The nectar which is flowing from the moon (bindu visarga) towards
the sun (manipura chakra) should be reversed and sent back to the higher centers." What will
happen then? Hatha Yoga Pradipika continues: "When you are able to reverse the flow of
amrit or nectar, it will not be consumed by the sun. It will be assimilated by your pure body."
When your body has been purified by hatha yoga, pranayama and a pure diet, this nectar is
assimilated by the body, and as a result of this, you experience a high mental state. When the
nectar returns to its source in the higher centers of the brain, and is not consumed by the sun,
you begin to feel a sort of calmness and quietness. Even if your mind was distracted,
confused, wandering and vacillating a few moments before, suddenly all these activities come
to an end and you feel total brightness. Your eyes are open, you can hear sounds and see
everything around you, but the mind does not move. It appears as if time, space and object
have ceased and the whole universe has stopped functioning.
The main hypothesis or contention here, is that you can influence the structures of the
body; you can create a change in the energy forces. And by creating a change in the physical
secretions, by altering the chemical proportions and the energy proportions in the body, you
can create an effect on the mind which you may call shanti, dharana, dhyana or samadhi. This
means that even when your mind is totally undisciplined and you cannot handle it for a
second, if you are able to create the correct proportion of secretions in the different areas of
the body/mind, then the higher state can be achieved.
You know what happens if you take a dose of ganja (marijuana)? Take a few puffs and see
what happens to your mind. It slows down and the brain waves change from theta to beta,
from alpha to delta. Suddenly you feel calm and quiet. What happened to your mind? You
didn't fight with it. I'm not advocating the use of ganja, I'm just giving you a very gross
example of how kriya yoga works on your mind. By infusing ganja or some hallucinogenic
drug, the chemical properties of the gross body change. The heart slows down, the breathing
rate changes, the brain waves alter and the mind becomes calm and still. Is it not possible to
arrive at the same point through kriya yoga? Yes; this is exactly what is accomplished through
kriya yoga.
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The various practices of kriya yoga, particularly vipareeta karani mudra, amrit pan,
khechari mudra, moola bandha, maha mudra, maha bheda mudra, etc. regulate the nervous
system. They harmonize the pranic forces in the body and equalize the quantity and effects of
the positive and negative ions. More than that, they help you to attain a state of peace and
tranquility without beating, kicking and abusing the mind. All this is a result of having
induced the flow of certain unused and natural chemicals of the body. Amrit is one of those
chemicals and through a practice known as khechari mudra, it can be made to flow.
Khechari mudra
Khechari mudra is a simple but very important technique which is utilized in most of the
kriya yoga practices. It involves folding the tongue back and placing it against the upper
palate. In the course of time the tongue gets elongated and can be inserted into the nasal
orifice. Then certain glands which are connected with the cranial passage and bindu visarga
are stimulated, and as a result, amrit or nectar begins to flow. When amrit is released you
experience a special type of'high' or intoxication.
It might take you a few years to perfect khechari mudra and to stimulate the flow of amrit,
but it is well worth the effort. When you sit for meditation the mind is perfectly still, it cannot
move and you cannot think. There is shoonyata, an experience of total nothingness. If you are
practising mantra you feel that somebody else is practising and you are only witnessing it.
This is considered a very important experience because it puts you in touch with the external
and internal experiences at the same time and you are completely aware of yourself. You
attain a state where you are simultaneously aware of the world of mind, senses and objects,
and the world of inner peace, tranquility and relaxation. When there is perfect harmony in the
nervous system, coronary behavior is in inertia, body temperature is low and alpha waves are
predominant in the brain, how can the mind move? This is the philosophy of kriya yoga.
Readiness for kriya yoga
If through the yoga practices you have been doing, you have reached a point where you
find that although concentration has been achieved, inner peace has been experienced and you
can maintain total quietness of body, mind and spirit for a prolonged period, but still you feel
there is something more to achieve, you are definitely ready for kriya yoga.
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Peace of mind, relaxation and proper understanding, which are the fruits of spiritual life,
are not an end in themselves. The ultimate purpose of yoga is to change the quality of
experience and to change the quality of the mind and its perception. What man has aimed to
achieve through yoga is expansion of mind and liberation of energy, and in essence, that is
tantra, and that is the ultimate goal of kriya yoga.
Chapter 14
Vama Marga and Kundalini Awakening
Sexual life has always been a problem for mankind. From the beginning of history, the
primal energy has been misunderstood. Religious teachers and moralists have denounced it.
But still sexual life has continued, not because man respects it, but because he needs it. He
may give it up, but he cannot remove it from his mind, for this is one of his most powerful
urges.
In the context of yoga and tantra the common definition of sexual life has no relevance. It
is absolutely unscientific and incorrect. This definition has created a society and a nation of
hypocrites. It has led thousands of young people into mental asylums. When you want
something which you think is bad, all kinds of guilt complexes arise. This is the beginning of
schizophrenia, and all of us are schizophrenic to some extent.
Therefore, the yogis have tried to give a correct direction to the sexual urge. Yoga does not
interfere with sexual life. Normal sexual life is neither spiritual nor aspiritual. But if you
practise yoga and master certain techniques, then sexual life becomes spiritual. Of course, if
you lead a celibate life, that is spiritual too.
Left hand tantra
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The science of tantra has two main branches, which are known as vama marga and
dakshina marga. Varna marga is the left path which combines sexual life with yoga practices
in order to explode the dormant energy centers. Dakshina marga is the right path of yoga
practices without sexual enactment. Previously, due to the barriers in sexual life, the path
most widely followed was dakshina marga. Today, however, these barriers are rapidly being
broken, and the path most sought after by the people everywhere is vama marga, which
utilizes sexual life for spiritual development.
According to tantra, sexual life has a threefold purpose. Some practise it for procreation,
others for pleasure, but the tantric yogi practises it for samadhi. He does not hold any negative
views about it. He does it as a part of his sadhana. But, at the same time, he realizes that for
spiritual purposes, the experience must be maintained. Ordinarily this experience is lost
before one is able to deepen it. By mastering certain techniques, however, this experience can
become continuous even throughout daily life. Then the silent centers of the brain are
awakened and they start to function all the time.
The energy principle
The contention of vama marga is that the awakening of kundalini is possible through the
sexual interaction between man and woman. The concept behind this follows the same lines
as the process of fission and fusion described in modern physics.
Man and woman represent positive and negative energy. On a mental level they represent
time and space. Ordinarily, these two forces stand at opposite poles. During sexual
interaction, however, they move out of their position of polarity, towards the center. When
they come together at the nucleus or central point, an explosion occurs and matter becomes
manifest. This is the basic theme of tantric initiation.
The natural event that takes place between man and woman is considered as the explosion
of the energy center. In every speck of life, it is the union between the positive and negative
poles that is responsible for creation. At the same time, union between the positive and
negative poles is also responsible for enlightenment, and the experience which takes place at
the time of union is a glimpse of the higher experience.
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This subject has been thoroughly discussed in all the old scriptures of tantra. Actually,
more important than the energy waves that are created during the mutual union, is the process
of directing that energy to the higher centers. Everybody knows how this energy is to be
created, but nobody knows how to direct it to the higher centers. In fact, very few people have
a full and positive understanding of this natural event which almost everybody in this world
experiences. If the conjugal experience, which is generally very transitory, could be extended
for a period of time, then the experience of enlightenment would take place.
The elements that are brought together in this process of union are known as Shiva and
Shakti. Shiva represents purusha or consciousness and Shakti represents prakriti or energy.
Shakti, in different forms, is present in all creation. Both material and spiritual energy are
known as Shakti. When the energy moves outwardly, it is material energy and when it is
directed upwards it is spiritual energy. Therefore, when the union between man and woman is
practised in the correct way, it has a very positive influence on the development of spiritual
awareness.
Retaining the bindu
Bindu means a point or a drop. In tantra, bindu is considered to be the nucleus, or the
abode of matter, the point from which all creation becomes manifest. Actually, the source of
bindu is in the higher centers of the brain. But due to the development of emotions and
passions, bindu falls down to the lower region where it is transformed into sperm and ova. At
the higher level, bindu is a point. At the lower level, it is drop of liquid, which drips from the
male and female orgasm.
According to tantra, preservation of the bindu is absolutely necessary for two reasons.
Firstly, the process of regeneration can only be carried out with the help of bindu. Secondly,
all the spiritual experiences take place when there is an explosion of bindu. This explosion
can result in the creation of a thought or of anything. Therefore, in tantra, certain practices are
recommended by which the male partner can stop ejaculation and retain the bindu.
According to tantra, ejaculation should not take place. One should learn how to stop it. For
this purpose, the male partner should perfect the practices of vajroli mudra as well as moola
bandha and uddiyana bandha. When these three kriyas are perfected, one is able to stop
ejaculation completely at any point of the experience.
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The sexual act culminates in a particular experience which is reached only at the point of
explosion of energy. Unless the energy explodes, the experience cannot take place. But this
experience has to be maintained, so that the energy level remains high. When the energy level
falls ejaculation takes place. Therefore, ejaculation is avoided, not so much to preserve the
semen, but because it causes a depression in the level of energy.
To make this energy travel upwards through the spine, certain hatha yoga kriyas have to be
mastered. The experience which is concomitant of energy has to be raised to the higher
centers. It is only possible to do this if you are able to prolong and maintain that experience.
As long as the experience continues, you can direct it to the higher centers. But as soon as the
energy level undergoes depression, ejaculation will inevitably take place.
Ejaculation brings down the temperature of the body and at the same time, the nervous
system undergoes depression. When the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
undergo depression, it affects the brain. That is why many people have mental problems.
When you are able to retain the semen without ejaculating at all, the energy in the nervous
system and the temperature in the whole body are maintained. At the same time, you are free
from the sense of loss, depression , frustration and guilt. Retention will also help to increase
the sexual frequency, and that is better for both partners. The sexual act does not have to
create weakness or dissipate the energy, on the contrary, it can become a means of exploding
the energy. Therefore, the value of retaining the bindu should not be underestimated.
In hatha yoga there are certain practices which must be perfected for this purpose. You
should begin with asanas such as paschimottanasana, shalabhasana, vajrasana, supta vajrasana
and siddhasana. These are beneficial as they place an automatic contraction on the lower
centers. Sirshasana is also important because it ventilates the brain so that all of one's
experiences will be healthy experiences. When these postures have been mastered, shambhavi
mudra is perfected in order to hold the concentration steadily at bhrumadhya. Then vajroli
mudra has to be practised together with moola bandha and uddiyana bandha in kumbhaka.
Practice of kumbhaka is necessary while the ejaculation is being held. Retention of the breath
and the bindu go hand in hand. Loss of kumbhaka is loss of bindu, and loss of bindu is loss of
kumbhaka.
During kumbhaka, when you are maintaining the experience, you should be able to direct
it to the higher centers. If you are able to create an archetype of this experience, perhaps in the
form of a serpent or a luminous continuity, then the result will be fantastic. So, in spiritual
life, bindu must be preserved at all costs.
The female experience
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In the female body, the point of concentration is at mooladhara chakra, which is situated at
the cervix, just behind the opening of the uterus. This is the point where space and time unite
and explode in the form of an experience. That experience is known as orgasm in ordinary
language, but in the language of tantra it is called an awakening. In order to maintain the
continuity of that experience, it is necessary for a buildup of energy to take place at that
particular bindu or point. Usually this does not happen, because the explosion of energy
dissipates throughout the body through the sexual medium. In order to avoid this, the woman
must be able to hold her mind in absolute concentration on that particular point. For this, the
practice is known as sahajoli.
Actually, sahajoli is concentration on the bindu, but this is very difficult. Therefore, the
practice of sahajoli, which is the contraction of the vaginal as well as the uterine muscles,
should be practised over a long period of time.
If girls are taught uddiyana bandha at an early age, they will perfect sahajoli quite
naturally with time. Uddiyana bandha is always practised with external retention. It is
important to be able to perform this in any position. Usually it is practised in siddhayoni
asana, but one should be able to do it in vajrasana or the crow posture as well. When you
practise uddiyana bandha, the other two bandhas - jalandhara and moola bandha occur
spontaneously.
Years of this practice will create a keen sense of concentration on the correct point in the
body. This concentration is more mental in nature, but at the same time, since it is not
possible to do it mentally, one has to start from some physical point. If a woman is able to
concentrate and maintain the continuity of the experience, she can awaken her energy to a
high level.
According to tantra, there are two different areas of orgasm. One is in the nervous zone,
which is the common experience for most women, and the other is in mooladhara chakra.
When sahajoli is practised during maithuna (the act of sexual union), mooladhara chakra
wakes up and the spiritual or tantric orgasm takes place.
When the female yogi is able to practise sahajoli for say 5 to 15 minutes, she can retain the
tantric orgasm for the same period of time. By retaining this experience, the flow of energy is
reversed. Circulation of blood and sympathetic/parasympathetic forces move upward. At this
point, she transcends normal consciousness and sees the light. That is how she enters the deep
state of dhyana. Unless the woman is able to practise sahajoli, she will not be able to retain
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the impulses necessary for the tantric orgasm, and consequently she will have the nervous
orgasm, which is short-lived and followed by dissatisfaction and exhaustion. This is often the
cause of a woman's hysteria and depression.
So, sahajoli is an extremely important practice for women. In uddiyana, nauli, naukasana,
vajrasana and siddha yoni asana, sahajoli comes naturally.
The practice of amaroli is also very important for married women. The word amaroli
means 'immortal' and by this practice one is freed of many diseases. The practice of amaroli
over a prolonged period also produces an important hormone known as prostaglandin which
destroys the ova and prevents conception.
Tantric guru
Just as in the scheme of creation, Shakti is the creator and Shiva the witness of the whole
game, in tantra the woman has the status of guru and the man of disciple. The tantric tradition
is actually passed on from the woman to the man. In the tantric practice, it is the woman who
initiates.
It is only by her power that the act of maithuna takes place. All preliminaries are done by
her. She puts the mark on the man's forehead and tells him where to meditate. In ordinary
interaction, the man takes the aggressive role and the woman participates. But in tantra, they
switch roles. The woman becomes the operator and the man her medium. She has to be able to
arouse him. Then, at the right moment, she must create the bindu so he can practise vajroli. If
the man loses his bindu, it means that the woman has failed to carry out her functions
properly.
In tantra it is said that Shiva is incapable without Shakti. Shakti is the priestess. Therefore,
when vama marga is practised, the man must have an absolutely tantric attitude towards the
woman. He cannot behave with her as men generally do with other women. Ordinarily, when
a man looks at a woman he becomes passionate, but during maithuna he should not. He
should see her as the divine mother, Devi, and approach her with an attitude of devotion and
surrender, not with lust.
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According to the tantric concept, women are more endowed with spiritual qualities and it
would be a wise thing if they were allowed to assume higher positions in social affairs. Then
there would be greater beauty, compassion, love and understanding in all spheres of life. What
we are discussing here is not patriarchal society versus matriarchal society, but tantra,
particularly left hand tantra.
Path of yogis not bhogis
In tantra, the practice of maithuna is said to be the easiest way to awaken sushumna,
because it involves an act which most people are already accustomed to. But, frankly
speaking, very few are prepared for this path. Ordinary sexual interaction is not maithuna. The
physical act may be the same, but the background is totally different.
In the relationship between husband and wife, for example, there is dependency and
ownership, but in tantra each partner is independent, one unto himself. Another difficult thing
in tantric sadhana is cultivating the attitude of passionlessness. The man has to virtually
become brahmacharya in order to free the mind and emotions of sexual thoughts and passion
which normally arise in the presence of a woman.
Both partners must be absolutely purified and controlled internally and externally before
they practise maithuna. This is hard for the ordinary person to comprehend because for most
people, sexual interaction is the result of passion and physical or emotional attraction, either
for progeny or pleasure. It is only when you are purified that these instinctive urges are
absent. This is why, according to tradition, the path of dakshina marga must be followed for
many years before the path of vama marga can be entered. Then the interaction of maithuna
does not take place for physical gratification. The purpose is very clear - awakening of
sushumna, raising the kundalmi energy from mooladhara chakra, and exploding the
unconscious areas of the brain.
If this is not clear when you practise the kriyas and sushumna becomes active, you will not
be able to face the awakening. Your head will get hot and you will not be able to control the
passion and excitement, because you have not tranquilized your brain.
Therefore, in my opinion, only those who are adepts in yoga qualify for vama marga. This
path is not to be used indiscriminately as a pretext for self-indulgence. It is meant for mature
and serious minded householder sadhakas, who are evolved, who have been practising
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sadhana to awaken the energy potential and to attain samadhi. They must utilize this path as a
vehicle of awakening, otherwise it becomes a path of downfall.
Section 2 - THE CHAKRAS
Chapter 1
Introduction to the Chakras
The subject of chakras is not going to be an easy one. Many scientists
and philosophers are confronted with a great difficulty when it comes to
accepting and explaining the existence of the chakras. They do not know
whether the chakras are to be found in the physical body or in the subtle
body. If they exist in the physical body, where are they? And of course the
subtle body is not the matter of modern anatomical science.
In the past, doctors and scientists used to ask me: 'We have witnessed
many operations, why have we never seen the chakras?' At the time, the
only reply I could give them was, 'Can you show me the sound waves in a
transistor radio? I have opened up radios but I have never found the BBC
there.' This answered their questions, but it didn't really satisfy them.
Scientists want a scientific explanation, and for this, new areas of research
are being developed.
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An eminent Japanese scientist, Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama, has invented
sensitive machines for measuring the vital energy of the body. One
apparatus measures the functioning of the nadis and their corresponding
body organs, and this machine is now being used in some Japanese
hospitals to diagnose disease tendencies before they actually manifest.
Another invention is 'the chakra machine', which records the impulses that
emanate from the psychic centers in the spinal cord. On this machine it is possible to register
definite impulses from these areas in individuals who have been practising yoga for many
years, and who have awakened their psychic faculties. For example, when a subject practises
pranayama with kumbhaka and maha bandha - contraction of the perineum, abdomen and
thyroid, the machine registers changes in the impulses emanating from the psychic centers.
This research shows that energy is definitely activated by the yoga practices. However, we
still have a lot of research to do in order to provide more scientific explanations.
At the same time, there are quite a lot of different interpretations on the science of chakras.
Of course the differences are not that great, but they are there. The thinkers of theosophical
movements and their predecessors have their own interpretations of the chakras, their location
points, colors, etc. The Rosicrucians and others may say something completely different and
the tantric texts may present entirely different concepts.
Chakra perception
The chakras, kundalini and the mind have subtle aspects on all levels of vibration. This is
extremely complicated and most of the realization of these levels must be very personal. Even
then, different people see these occult aspects from different points of view. For instance, if
they have realizations about the chakras, these will be colored by their own personal
tendencies. Some concentrate on their more subtle mystical aspects, some on their energy and
pranic manifestations, some on their functional reality, some on their psychological effects,
and still others on their physical concomitants. These are usually all correct and when various
authorities get together, they find that they are talking about the same things but from
different points of view. If we look at a man through binoculars he looks large. If we look at
him by ordinary vision he looks the usual size. If we view him through an X-ray screen we
see his skeleton, and if we look through a gastroscope we see the inside of his stomach. Same
man - different viewpoints.
In the same way, whereas a mystic or yogi will describe the chakras in a spiritual or
symbolic way, the surgeon may describe the chakras as bunches of nerve fibers making up
what he calls the plexuses, and a clairvoyant will describe the energy manifestations of the
chakras in yet a different way. These people may have disagreements, but actually they are
seeing the same thing from different viewpoints. Discrepancies are largely semantic due to
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differing cultural, educational and personal understandings. This is a common problem
amongst men when they try to communicate in words any idea or experience.
Whereas I have great respect for the tantric concept, I have my own experience, and
therefore, in my descriptions of the chakras I'll make references to both. However, rather than
trying to understand the chakras through the written or verbal descriptions of others, you must
experience them for yourself and gain your own personal knowledge. Tantra is essentially a
practical science rather than an intellectual one, and only practice leads to true experience and
real understanding.
Chakra symbology
If you are practising kundalini yoga or kriya yoga, you will need to know the different
colors and symbols of the chakras. They are all very beautiful and form an intrinsic part of the
awakening of the individual chakras. Each chakra has a particular color, mantra, situation and
range of experiences associated with it.
Whereas the various esoteric cults and spiritual systems use different symbols to represent
the chakras, in tantra and yoga the chakras are symbolized by lotus flowers. As a symbol, the
lotus is very significant. Man must pass through three clear stages in spiritual life, which
represent his existence on three different levels: ignorance, aspiration and endeavor, and
illumination. The lotus also exists on three different levels - mud, water and air. It sprouts in
the mud (ignorance), grows up through the water in an effort to reach the surface (endeavor
and aspiration) and eventually reaches the air and the direct light of the sun (illumination).
Thus the lotus symbolizes man's growth from the lowest states of awareness to the higher
states of consciousness. The culmination of the growth of the lotus is a beautiful flower. In the
same way, the culmination of man's spiritual quest is the awakening and blossoming of
human potential.
So each of the principal chakras can be visualized as a lotus flower with a specific color
and number of petals as follows:
Mooladhara - 4 petalled deep red lotus
Swadhisthana - 6 petalled vermilion lotus
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Manipura - 10 petalled bright yellow lotus
Anahata - 12 petalled blue lotus
Vishuddhi - 16 petalled violet lotus
Ajna - 2 petalled silver-grey lotus
Sahasrara - 1000 petalled multicolored or red lotus.
In each chakra six things are combined : 1) the chakra color, 2) the petals of the lotus
flower, 3) the yantra or geometrical shape, 4) the bija mantra, 5) the animal symbol, 6) the
higher or divine symbol. Each chakra contains an animal and divine beings. The animals
represent your previous evolution and instincts, and the divine beings represent higher
consciousness.
In my exposition of the chakras I may say a chakra is a particular color, but if you are a
good yogic aspirant and in your concentration on that chakra you realize another color, that is
the truth for you. Your experiences are just as valid as mine, but one thing is definite, as you
move up through the chakras, the frequencies of the colors become more subtle and more
powerful.
Chakra kshetram
In many of the practices of kundalini yoga we have to concentrate or focus our awareness
on the chakra trigger points in the spinal cord. However, many people find it easier to
concentrate on the chakra kshetram located on the front surface of the body. In kriya yoga
particularly, the chakra kshetram are utilized in many of the practices. The kshetram can be
regarded as reflections of the original chakra trigger points, and when we concentrate on them
it creates a sensation which passes through the nerves to the chakra itself and then travels up
to the brain.
Mooladhara does not have a kshetram, but swadhisthana, manipura, anahata, vishuddhi
and ajna have physical counterparts directly in front of them on the same horizontal plane.
Swadhisthana kshetram is at the level of the pubic bone in front of the body just above the
genital organ. Manipura kshetram is at the navel, anahata kshetram is at the heart and
vishuddhi kshetram is located on the front surface of the throat pit in the vicinity of the
thyroid gland. Ajna kshetram is bhrumadhya, the mid-eyebrow center.
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The granthis
There are three granthis (psychic knots) in the physical body which are obstacles on the
path of the awakened kundalini. The granthis are called brahma, vishnu and rudra, and they
represent levels of awareness where the power of maya, ignorance and attachment to material
things is especially strong. Each aspirant must transcend these barriers to make a clear
passageway for the ascending kundalini.
Brahma granthi functions in the region of mooladhara chakra. It implies attachment to
physical pleasures, material objects and excessive selfishness. It also implies the ensnaring
power of tamas - negativity, lethargy and ignorance.
Vishnu granthi operates in the region of anahata chakra. It is associated with the bondage
of emotional attachment and attachment to people and inner psychic visions. It is connected
with rajas - the tendency towards passion, ambition and assertiveness.
Rudra granthi functions in the region of ajna chakra. It is associated with attachment to
siddhis, psychic phenomena and the concept of ourselves as individuals. One must surrender
the sense of individual ego and transcend duality to make further spiritual progress.
Conversion centers
Besides functioning as control centers, the chakras work as centers of interchange between
the physical, astral and causal dimensions. For instance, through the chakras, subtle energy
from the astral and causal dimension can be transformed into energy for the physical
dimension. This can be seen in yogis who have been buried underground for long periods of
time. Through activation of vishuddhi chakra, which controls hunger and thirst and enables
one to subsist on subtle energy in the form of amrit or nectar, they have been able to maintain
their existence.
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It is further contemplated that physical energy can be transformed into subtle energy
through the action of the chakras and that physical energy can be converted into mental
energy within the physical dimension.
Thus the chakras are seen to be intermediaries for energy transfer and conversion between
two neighboring dimensions of being as well as facilitating the energy conversion between the
body and mind. As the chakras are activated and awakened, man not only becomes aware of
the higher realms of existence, but also gains the power to enter those realms, and then in
turn, to support and give life to the lower dimensions.
Chapter 2
Evolution through the Chakras
All life is evolving and man is no exception. Human evolution, the
evolution which we are undergoing relentlessly, both as individuals and as
a race, is a journey through the different chakras. Mooladhara is the most
basic, fundamental chakra from where we commence our evolution, and
sahasrara is where our evolution is completed. As we evolve towards
sahasrara, outer experiences come our way in life, and inner experiences
come to us in meditation, as different capacities and centers awaken
progressively within the nervous system. This occurs as energy flows at
higher voltages and rates of vibration through the different nadis in the
psychic body.
Mooladhara is the first center in human incarnation, but it is the
highest chakra that animals have the capacity to awaken. It is their
sahasrara. The higher chakras beyond mooladhara are not present in the
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psychic physiology of animals and their nervous systems reflect this
relative deficiency.
Below mooladhara there are other chakras which represent the
evolution of the animal kingdom. They are only related to sense
consciousness and not to mental awareness. When your consciousness
was evolving through these chakras your mind was only associated with
sense consciousness. There was no individual awareness, no ego; it began from
mooladhara. These lower centers are no longer functioning in us because we have transcended
them.
In the animal body, these inferior chakras are situated in the legs, and so are the nadis. The
nadis flow to their confluence point at mooladhara chakra just as the nadis in the human body
flow to ajna chakra. The names of the lower chakras are atala, vitala, sutala, talatala,
rasatala, mahatala and the lowest is patala. Just as mooladhara is the lowest chakra in the
human body, patala is the lowest in the animal kingdom. It is the dimension which represents
total darkness, where nature is not functioning and matter is completely dormant and static.
Above sahasrara there are also other chakras which represent the higher divine
consciousness. So mooladhara chakra is the highest in animal evolution and the first in human
evolution. Sahasrara is the highest in human evolution and the first step in the highest divine
evolution.
As you read more about the chakras, you will come to realize that kundalini actually
controls every affair of life. When this shakti was passing through the animal stages of our
evolution, it was influencing the whole species with avidya or ignorance. On account of its
influence,the animal kingdom was compelled to follow the path of eating, sleeping, fearing
and mating. This represented the tamasic phase oi evolution. From mooladhara onward we
pass through the rajasic phase and from sahasrara onward we enter the sattvic.
Spontaneous and self-propelled evolution
Up to mooladhara chakra evolution takes place automatically. Animals do not have to
practise pranayama and japa yoga. They don't have to find a guru, take sannyasa and become
chelas. They don't have to do anything and they can eat whatever they want. Nature controls
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them completely. Because they don't think, nature is benevolently responsible for every phase
of their evolution.
However, once kundaiini reaches mooladhara chakra, evolution is no longer spontaneous,
because a human being is not completely subjected to the laws of nature. For example,
animals only mate in particular seasons. At other times, even if they live together they will not
mate. But, because man is free from the laws of nature, he can mate whenever he wants.
Man has awareness of time and space, and he has an ego. He can think, he can know that
he is thinking and he can know that he knows that he is thinking. This is because of the
evolution of ego. If there is no ego there will not be double awareness. Animals do not have
double awareness. If a dog is chasing another dog, it is under nature's compulsion. It doesn't
know it is chasing and the other dog doesn't know that it is running. It runs because instinct
compels it to.
So, man has a higher consciousness, and once he has it he has to work towards its
evolution. That is why it is said that kundaiini is sleeping in mooladhara chakra. It can't
progress beyond this point unless it is pushed.
Discovering your point of evolution
Of course, when the shakti awakens suddenly in mooladhara, it cannot rise immediately. It
may wake up and sleep again many times. You know how your children are in the morning;
you have to wake them several times because they keep going back to sleep. Kundaiini
behaves in the same way. Sometimes it even ascends to swadhisthana or manipura only to
return to mooladhara again to sleep. However, once the shakti goes beyond manipura chakra
there is no going back. Stagnation in a chakra only occurs when there is an obstruction in
sushumna or one of the chakras. Kundalini can remain in one chakra for many years, or even
for a whole lifetime.
Sometimes, when kundalini gets blocked in a chakra during transit, you begin to exhibit
some of the siddhis or psychic powers associated with that chakra. Then you may not have
self-control and understanding of the fact that you are only on the road. When one attains
siddhis he is tempted to display them. He may think he is using them for the good of
humanity, but this only feeds the ego and clouds him in a thick veil of maya or ignorance,
hindering his further progress.
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If one is manifesting siddhis, he can assume that he has evolved to that chakra which is
associated with those siddhis. However, siddhis don't usually manifest when kundalini passes
through all the chakras quickly, and if they do, they will not stay long. For a few days you
may be able to read the thoughts of others, but then that ability will pass away. For a few days
you may be able to heal people, but that will also pass. Psychic powers usually only linger
when kundalini gets blocked in a chakra.
Of course, some of our lower chakras may already be functioning without our knowledge.
We are all at different levels on the scale of evolution, and therefore it may not be necessary
to start the process of awakening from mooladhara. We say kundalini is in mooladhara in
order to explain the whole concept, but due to your progress in previous lives, or the sadhana
your mother or father may have done, you might have been born with your kundalini in
manipura. If that is the case, the ascension must take place from there. However, as you can't
remember your previous life, similarly you also forget about the state of your kundalini. That
is why the gurus teach that it is sleeping in mooladhara. It may be in anahata, but I will always
tell you it is in mooladhara and make you do the practices from mooladhara. You might not
have any experience of it there. You may go to swadhisthana and manipura and not have any
experiences there either. But the moment you go to anahata you suddenly start having
experiences.
So, before you commence the practices of kundalini yoga, you should try to find out at
which point your ascension will actually start. In order to do this, the best method is to
concentrate on mooladhara daily for 15 to 30 minutes. Then swadhisthana for 15 days,
manipura for 15 days and so on up to sahasrara. You will soon discover your point of
evolution.
Some people will find concentration on anahata easiest, so that is likely to be their center.
Others will find ajna chakra very powerful and attractive to them, whereas other people will
find it easiest to relate to mooladhara, while the higher chakras seem almost impossible to
locate. Ultimately you will be able to decide which is your most sensitive chakra, and you will
be ready for the next step - awakening.
However, there is one important point to add. Even if a higher chakra such as anahata has
awakened at random, you must try to awaken the lower chakras also. The purpose of
awakening kundalini and ascending it through all the chakras is to awaken them and their
related parts of the brain. Therefore, in order to awaken the whole brain, all the chakras must
be awakened.
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Awakening the chakras
Awakening of the chakras is a very important event in man's evolution. It should not be
misunderstood for mysticism or occultism, because with the awakening of the chakras, our
consciousness and our mind undergo changes. These changes have significant relevance and
relationship with our day to day life.
Our present state of mind is not capable of handling all the affairs of life. Our love and
hatred, our relationships with people, they are the consequences of the quality of our present
mind. And it appears that our sufferings, our agonies and frustrations are not so much due to
the circumstances of life, but more to the responses of our mind. Therefore, the purpose of
awakening the chakras, sushumna and kundalini should be related to our day to day life.
Thousands of people are born with awakened chakras and kundalini, and these people
virtually rule the whole world. I'm not talking about governing or ruling a country; I'm saying
that they are superior people in every aspect of life. They are the great musicians, artists,
builders, scientists, research scholars, inventors, prophets, statesmen, etc.
There are many children born with awakened chakras and kundaini and as they grow up
they show different manifestations. However, our materialistic societies consider these
manifestations as abnormal and those who display them are subjected to psychoanalysis and
psychological scrutiny and treatment.
It is not regarded as abnormal if you undergo personal conflicts in relation to family or
work events, but as your mind and consciousness expand, you become very alert and sensitive
to all that is happening in your mind, your family, colleagues, society and country, and you
can't ignore even the tiniest things of life. By ordinary people, this is not regarded as normal,
but it is a natural consequence that follows awakening of the chakras. One's consciousness
becomes very receptive because the frequencies of the mind change.
The manifestation of higher qualities
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Every form, every sound and every color has a certain frequency. All sounds, colors and
forms do not have the same frequency. In the same way, every thought has a frequency, some
are of a low frequency and some are of a high frequency. I'll give you an example of a high
frequency idea.
Once the great scientist Isaac Newton was sitting in a garden and he watched an apple fail
from a tree. We may have also seen apples fall from trees and because it doesn't seem strange
to us, we have not given any thought to the process. But Isaac Newton had what we could call
philosophic attention. This was a quality of his mind and personality and because of it, when
an apple fell before him, he discovered the theory of gravitation.
Why shouldn't you tell lies? Maybe you think there's no harm in it if you can make money,
rule a nation or suppress people. The whole contingent depends on the frequency of your
consciousness. At a lower frequency of consciousness you'll say there's no harm in telling lies,
but when the frequency is raised the mind operates at a different level and you can't really
accept that anymore. Many people say, 'Why should we not kill? After all, when we kill an
animal we may be liberating it and enabling it to get a better birth quicker.' Our attitudes and
way of thinking are a result of the quality of our mind and the particular frequency at which it
is functioning.
Once Lord Buddha went hunting with his cousin Devadatta. Devadatta shot an arrow at a
pigeon and it fell, injured by the arrow. Lord Buddha felt the pain of that bird and
immediately rushed to remove the arrow. But Devadatta did not feel the pain, he was very
pleased with himself because he had struck his target. Buddha's consciousness had attained a
higher frequency vibration and as a result of that he was sensitive to the bird's pain and was
manifesting compassion.
Therefore, the higher qualities of a man, such as love, compassion, charity, mercy, etc. are
the expressions of a mind which is influenced by awakened chakras. This is precisely the
reason why so much importance is given to the awakening of anahata chakra. Of course every
chakra is very important and each chakra confers certain abilities, but you will find that all the
scriptural texts place great emphasis on the awakening of anahata, ajna and mooladhara
chakras. Yogis emphasize ajna and mooladhara chakras and all mankind gives emphasis to
anahata chakra. When anahata is awakened we have a sublime relationship with God, with
our family members and with every being.
When the chakras are awakened the mind automatically changes. Your values in life also
change and the quality of your love and relationships improve immensely, enabling you to
balance out the disappointments and frustrations in life. Therefore you are able to live a little
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higher than you do now, and your attitude towards yourself and towards this life is much
better.
If awakening of the chakras can bring about unbreakable unity in your family, what more
do you need? Do you need a happy family or another husband or wife? Frankly, man needs a
happy mind and a happy family. It doesn't matter what he does or what his children are. Does
it really matter if there's little to eat? Happiness and inner contentment are above all. And as
far as I can see, true contentment can only be gained by a systematic awakening of the
chakras.
Chapter 3
Ajna Chakra
Our reflection on the psychic centers begins from ajna chakra. According to tradition,
mooJadhara is generally designated as the first chakra since it is the seat of kundalini shakti.
However, there is another system in which consideration and study of the chakras commences
from ajna.
Ajna chakra is the point of confluence where the three main nadis or forces - ida, pingala
and sushumna merge into one stream of consciousness and flow up to sahasrara, the crown
center. In mythology, these three nadis are represented by three great rivers - Ganga (ida),
Jamuna (pingala) and Saraswati (a subterranean current which represents sushumna). They
converge at a place called Prayag or Triveni, which is near present day Allahabad. Hindus
believe that every twelve years, when the sun is in Aquarius, if one takes a dip at the point of
confluence, he or she will be purifiedю This place of confluence corresponds symbolically to
ajna chakra.
When the mind is concentrated at this conjunction, transformation of individual
consciousness is brought about by the merging of the three great forces. Individual
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consciousness is mainly comprised of ego, and it is on account of ego that we are aware of
dualities. As long as there is duality there cannot be samadhi; as long as you remember
yourself you cannot get out of yourself.
Although there are experiences of trance in other chakras, there is no merger of the
individual ego with the cosmic ego. All throughout you find you are trying to assert yourself
behind all the experiences you are having, but when ida and pingala unite with sushumna in
ajna chakra, you lose yourself completely. I don't mean that you become unconscious. Your
awareness expands and becomes homogeneous. Then individual awareness falls flat and you
completely transcend the realm of duality. Thus ajna chakra is a very important center, which
you must experience in order to bring about purification of the mind. Once the mind is
purified the experience and awakening of the other chakras can proceed.
There is a certain problem with the awakening of the other chakras. Each one contains a
store of karmas or samskara, both good and bad, positive and negative, painful and pleasant.
The awakening of any chakra will definitely bring to the surface an explosion or expression of
these karmas, and of course, not everybody is prepared or ready to face them. Only those who
have reason and understanding are able to cope. Therefore it is said that before you start
awakening and manifesting the great force, it is best to purify the mind at the point of
confluence. Then, with a purified mind, you can awaken the other chakras. For this reason we
begin our exposition of the chakras with ajna.
The center of command
The word ajna comes from the Sanskrit root which means 'to know, to obey or to follow'.
Literally, ajna means 'command' or 'the monitoring center'. In astrology ajna is the center of
Jupiter, which symbolizes the guru or preceptor. Amongst the deities, Jupiter is represented
by Brihaspati, the guru of the devas and preceptor of the gods. Therefore, this center is also
known as 'the guru chakra'.
Ajna is the bridge which links the guru with his disciples. It represents the level at which it
is possible for direct mind to mind communication to take place between two people. It is in
this chakra that communication with the external guru, the teacher or preceptor takes place.
And it is here that the directions of the inner guru are heard in the deepest state of meditation,
when all the sense modalities are withdrawn and one enters the state of shoonya or void.
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This is a state of absolute nothingness, where the empirical experiences of name and form,
subject and object, do not penetrate. In this completely static state, the light of the mind is
extinguished; the consciousness ceases to function, and no ego awareness remains. This void
state is the same as the death experience, and in order to traverse it the voice or command of
the guru must be heard in ajna chakra.
Of course if you are new to spiritual life you won't be facing this problem yet, but when it
comes you will find it very difficult to manage. At the moment your problems are just mental
- dispersion of mind, worries, anxiety, restlessness, etc., but when the night is dark and you
have gone very deep in meditation, losing your individual awareness, the only thing that can
guide you at this point is the instructions or command of your guru heard through ajna chakra.
It has also been called 'the eye of intuition', and it is the doorway through which the
individual enters the astral and psychic dimension of consciousness. Perhaps the most
common name for this chakra is 'the third eye', and the mystical traditions of every age and
culture make abundant references to it. It is portrayed as a psychic eye located midway
between the two physical eyes and it looks inward instead of outward.
In India, ajna chakra is called divya chakshu (the divine eye), gyana chakshu or gyana
netra (the eye of knowledge) because it is the channel through which the spiritual aspirant
receives revelation and insight into the underlying nature of existence. It is also called 'the eye
of Shiva', for Shiva is the epitome of meditation, which is directly associated with the
awakening of ajna chakra.
It is interesting to note that ajna chakra is more active in females than it is in males.
Women are more sensitive, psychic and perceptive and they are often able to predict coming
events. However, in most people this inner eye remains closed, and though they see the events
of the outside world, knowledge and understanding of truth cannot be gained. In this sense,
we are blind to the real possibilities of the world, unable to view the deeper levels of human
existence.
The location point
Ajna chakra is located in the brain directly behind the eyebrow center. It is at the very top
of the spinal cord, at the medulla oblongata. Initially it is very hard to feel the exact location
point of ajna, so we concentrate on ajna kshetram, at the mid-eyebrow center, bhrumadhya.
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These two centers are directly connected. That is why it has always been an Indian custom to
place tilaka, chandan, sindur or kumkum on the mid-eyebrow center. Sindur contains
mercury, and when it is applied to the eyebrow center a constant pressure is exerted on the
nerve which runs from bhrumadhya to the medulla oblongata. Maybe the original purpose for
applying these substances has been forgotten by most people today, but it is not a religious
mark or even a beauty spot. It is a means by which you can maintain constant conscious and
unconscious awareness of ajna chakra.
It should also be mentioned here that ajna chakra and the pineal gland are one and the
same thing. The pituitary gland is sahasrara, and just as the pituitary and pineal glands are
intimately connected, so are ajna and sahasrara. We could say that ajna is the gateway to
sahasrara chakra. If ajna is awakened and functioning properly, all the experiences happening
in sahasrara can be managed well.
The pineal gland acts as a lock on the pituitary. As long as the pineal gland is healthy, the
functions of the pituitary are controlled. However, in most of us, the pineal gland started to
degenerate when we reached the age of 8, 9 or 10. Then the pituitary began to function and to
secrete various hormones which instigated our sexual consciousness, our sensuality and
worldly personality. At this time we began to lose touch with our spiritual heritage. However,
through various yogic techniques, such as trataka and shambhavi mudra, it is possible to
regenerate or maintain the health of the pineal gland.
Traditional symbology
Ajna is symbolized by a two petalled lotus. According to the scriptures it is a pale color,
light grey like a rainy day. Some say it is white like the moon, or silver, but actually it is an
intangible color. On the left petal is the letter ham and on the right ksham. Ham and ksham are
inscribed in a silvery white color and are the bija mantras for Shiva and Shakti. One
represents the moon or ida nadi and the other the sun or pingala nadi. Below the chakra the
three nadis merge - ida on the left, pingala on the right and sushumna in between.
Within the lotus is a perfectly round circle which symbolizes shoonya, the void. Within the
circle is an inverted triangle which represents shakti - creativity and manifestation. Above the
triangle is a black shivalingam. Shivalingam is not, as many people believe, a phallic symbol.
It is the symbol of your astral body. According to tantra and occult sciences, the astral body is
the attribute of your personality, and in the form of shivalingam, it can be one of three colors,
depending on the purification or evolution of your consciousness.
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In mooladhara chakra the lingam is smoky and ill-defined. It is known as dhumra lingam,
and we can compare this with our state of consciousness when we live an instinctive life. We
have no real concept of ourselves or what we are. Ajna chakra has a black lingam with a very
consolidated outline. It is called the itarakhya lingam. Here, in ajna, the awareness of 'what I
am' is more sharply defined and various capacities are being awakened. In sahasrara the
consciousness is illumined and therefore the lingam there is luminous. It is called the jyotir
lingam.
When a person of unevolved mind concentrates, he experiences the shivalingam in the
form of a smoky column. It comes and then disperses, comes again and disperses, and so on.
With deeper concentration, as the restlessness of the mind is annihilated, the lingam becomes
black in color. By concentrating on that black shivalingam, the jyotir lingam is produced
within the illumined astral consciousness. Therefore, the black lingam of ajna chakra is the
key to the greater spiritual dimension of life.
Over the shivalingam is the traditional symbol of Оm, with its tail on top and the crescent
moon and bindu above that. Om is the bija mantra and symbol of ajna chakra, and above its
form can be seen the raif, the trace of sound consciousness. Paramshiva is the deity of ajna
chakra and he shines like a chain of lightning flashes. The goddess is the pure minded Hakini
whose six faces are like so many moons.
Each chakra is considered to possess a tanmatra, or specific sense of modality, a
gyanendriya or organ of sense perception, and a karmendriya or organ of action. The
tanmatra, gyanendriya and karmendriya of ajna chakra are all considered to be the mind. The
mind is able to gain knowledge by subtle means rather than by the input of sense data from
the various sense organs, which are the gyanendriyas of the other chakras. The mind perceives
knowledge directly via a sixth or intuitive sense, which comes into operation as ajna chakra
awakens. This sense is the gyanendriya of the mind. Similarly, the mind can manifest actively
without the aid of the physical body. This is the faculty of astral projection, which manifests
with the awakening of ajna chakra. Therefore, mind is considered to be the karmendriya of
ajna. The mode of operation of this center is purely mental and so the tanmatra is also the
mind. The plane is tapa loka, where vestiges of imperfection are purified and the karmas are
burned away. Along with vishuddhi chakra, ajna forms the basis for vigyanamaya kosha,
which initiates psychic development.
Often, the experience one has when awakening takes place in ajna is similar to that
induced by ganja (marijuana) or any other drug of that type. He who meditates on this
awakened chakra sees a flaming lamp shining as the morning sun and he dwells within the
regions of fire, sun and moon. He is able to enter another's body at will, and becomes the most
excellent amongst munis, being all-knowing and all-seeing. He becomes the benefactor of all
and is versed in all the shastras. He realizes his unity with the Brahman and acquires siddhis.
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Different results accruing out of meditation on the various centers are collectively realized by
meditating on this center alone.
Ajna and the mind
So, ajna is essentially the chakra of the mind, representing a higher level of awareness.
Whenever you concentrate on something, whether it is mooladhara, swadhisthana or manipura
chakra, or you concentrate on an external object or an idea, ajna is affected, sometimes
mildly, sometimes powerfully, depending on the degree of your concentration. When we
visualize or when we dream at night, the inner vision that occurs is through ajna. If you are
eating, sleeping or talking and you are not aware of it, then ajna is not operating. But if you
are talking and one area of your awareness knows it, this knowing, this awareness is the
faculty of ajna.
When you develop ajna, you can have knowledge without the aid of the senses. Normally,
all knowledge comes to us by means of information the senses conduct to the brain, and a
process of classification, logic and intellect that takes place in the frontal brain. However, the
smaller brain, where ajna chakra is situated, has the capacity to acquire knowledge directly
without the aid of the indriyas or senses. Supposing it is a very cloudy day, you can know,
through logic, that it will rain. But if there are no clouds in the sky and still you know beyond
a doubt that it will rain, this means your intuition and perception are very acute and ajna
chakra is functioning.
When ajna is awakened, fickleness of the individual mind disperses and the purified
buddhi (subtle intelligence or higher perception) manifests. Attachment, which is the cause of
ignorance and lack of discrimination drops away, and sankalpa shakti (willpower) becomes
very strong. Mental resolves are almost immediately converted into fruits, provided they are
in accordance with individual dharma.
Ajna is the witnessing center where one becomes the detached observer of all events,
including those within the body and mind. Here the level of awareness is developed whereby
one begins to 'see' the hidden essence underlying all visible appearances. When ajna is
awakened, the meaning and significance of symbols flashes into one's conscious perception
and intuitive knowledge arises effortlessly.
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This is the center of extrasensory perception where various siddhis manifest according to
one's samskaras or mental tendencies. For this reason, ajna chakra is said to resemble a knot
directly on top of the spinal cord. According to tantra this knot is called rudra granthi, the
knot of Shiva. This knot is symbolic of the aspirant's attachment to the newly developed
siddhis which accompany the awakening of ajna. The knot effectively blocks the spiritual
evolution until attachment to psychic phenomena is overcome and the knot in consciousness
is freed.
Understanding cause and effect
Up until ajna chakra awakens, we are under delusions, we view things incorrectly and we
have many great misconceptions, about love and attachment, hatred and jealousy, tragedy and
comedy, victory and defeat, and so many things. Our fears are unfounded, so are our
jealousies and attachments, but still we have them. Our mind is functioning within a limited
sphere and we can't transcend it. Just as we dream at night and our dream experiences are
relative, we are also dreaming in our waking state and our experiences are relative. In the
same way that we wake from a dream, when ajna awakens, there is also a process of waking
up from this present dream we are living, and we can fully understand the relationship
between cause and eflect.
It is necessary for us to understand the law of cause and effect in relation to our lives,
otherwise we are depressed and sorrowful about certain events in life. Supposing you give
birth to a child and shortly after it dies. Why did it happen? This is what everybody would
ask, isn't it? If a child was meant to die straight after birth, why was it born at all? You can
only understand the reason if you understand the laws of cause and effect.
Cause and effect are not immediate events. Each and every action is both a cause and an
effect. This life we have is an effect, but what was the cause? You have to discover it, then
you can understand the relationship between cause and effect. It is only after awakening of
ajna chakra that these laws can be known. Thereafter your whole philosophical attitude and
approach to life changes. No events of life affect you adversely, and the various objects and
experiences that come into your life and fade out of your life do not disturb you at all. You
participate in all the affairs of life and you live fully, but as a detached witness. Life flows like
a fast current and you surrender and move with it.
Moving on from ajna to sahasrara
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To reach ajna chakra it requires sadhana, discipline, firm belief and persistent effort. With
our present state of mind it is not possible to know how to reach sahasrara, but once ajna
chakra becomes active, you develop superior perception and you realize how sahasrara can be
reached. It's like setting out on a journey from Munger to Marine Drive, Bombay. The most
important stage of the journey is the long train trip to Bombay. Once you are there, reaching
Marine Drive is no problem. It's easy to find the way, you just take a taxi and go there. So, in
my opinion, it is not important for us to know how to reach sahasrara from ajna chakra, but it
is essential for us to know how to awaken ajna.
Chapter 4
Mooladhara Chakra
The Sanskrit word moola means 'root or foundation' and that is precisely what this chakra
is. Mooladhara is at the root of the chakra system and its influences are at the root of our
whole existence. The impulses of life rise through the body and flower as the widest
expansion of our awareness in the area known as sahasrara. It seems a great paradox that this
earthiest and most basic of the chakras guides us to the highest consciousness.
In Samkhya philosophy, the concept of mooladhara is understood as moola prakriti, the
transcendental basis of physical nature. The whole universe and all its objects must have some
basis from which they evolve and to which they return after dissolution. The original source
of all evolution is moola prakriti. Mooladhara, as the basis of moola prakriti, is responsible for
everything that manifests in the world of name and form.
In tantra, mooladhara is the seat of kundalini shakti, the basis from which the possibility of
higher realization arises. This great potential is said to be lying dormant in the form of a
coiled serpent. When aroused, it makes its way upward through sushumna nadi in the spinal
cord until it reaches sahasrara where the ultimate experience of enlightenment occurs.
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Therefore, the awakening of mooladhara is considered to be of great importance in kundalini
yoga.
The location point
The seat of mooladhara in the male body is located slightly inside the perineum, midway
between the scrotum and the anus. It is the inner aspect of that nerve complex which carries
all kinds of sensations and is immediately connected with the testes. In the female body,
mooladhara chakra lies on the posterior side of the cervix.
In both the male and female bodies, there is a vestigial gland at mooladhara chakra which
is something iike a knot. In Sanskrit this is known as brahma granthi; the knot of Brahma. As
long as this knot remains intact, the energy located in this area is blocked. But the moment the
knot is opened, shakti awakens. It is only when the individual awakens to the possibility of
divine consciousness, to a greater force and purpose than that of instinctive animal life, that
the brahma granthi begins to loosen. Consciousness begins to be liberated from the root center
as the individual's aspiration awakens.
Many people feel hesitant and shy about believing kundalini is in mooladhara chakra and
claim it to be in manipura, because they don't want to associate this holy kundalini shakti with
the unholy sexual system. However, scientific investigation shows that this tiny gland in
mooladhara chakra contains infinite energy and many psychic and spiritual experiences
originate from mooladhara. Just because mooladhara is situated in the sexual region, this does
not make it an impure center.
Traditional symbology
Mooladhara chakra is traditionally represented by a lotus flower with four deep crimson
petals. On each petal is a letter: vam, sham, sham, sam, written in gold.
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In the pericarp is a yellow square, symbol of the earth element, surrounded by eight golden
spears - four at each corner and four at the cardinal points. These are said to represent the
seven Kula mountains on the base spear of earth.
The golden yellow square, yantra of the earth element, is supported by an elephant with
seven trunks. The elephant is the largest of all land animals and possesses great strength and
solidity. These are the attributes of mooladhara - a great, dormant power, resting in a
completely stable, solid place. The seven trunks of the elephant denote the seven minerals that
are vital to physical function; in Sanskrit they are known sapta dhatu. The seven trunked
elephant is the vehicle of the great mind, the great creativity.
Riding on the elephant's back, in the center of the square, is a deep red inverted triangle.
This is the symbol of shakti or creative energy, which is responsible for the productivity and
multiplicity of all things. Within the triangle is the swayambhu or dhumra linga, smoky grey
in color. Around this linga, which represents the astral body, kundalini is coiled three and a
half times, her luster being that of lightning. Three represents the three gunas or qualities of
nature in an individual. As long as the three gunas are operating, individuality is functioning
within the confinements of ego. The half represents transcendence.
In tantra this coiled serpent is known as mahakala, great or endless time. Here kundalini is
lying in the womb of the unconscious, beyond time and space. When kundalini begins to
manifest, it enters the dimensions of personality and individuality, and becomes subject to
time and space. That is the awakening of the great serpent power within the individual form,
frame and consciousness of the human being. However, in most people it is dormant. In its
awakened state kundaiini shakti represents our spiritual potential, but in its dormant state it
represents that instinctive level of life which supports our basic existence. Both possibilities
lie in mooladhara.
Resting on top of the inverted triangle is the bija mantra lam. Inside the bindu, over the
mantra, reside the elephant deva Ganesha and the devi Dakini,who has four arms and brilliant
red eyes. She is resplendent like the luster of many suns rising at the same time. She is the
carrier of ever pure intelligence.
The tanmatra or sense associated with mooladhara is smell, and it is here that the psychic
smells are manifested. The gyanendriya or sensory organ is the nose, and the karmendriya,
organ of activity, is the anus. Mooladhara awakening is often accompanied by itchy
sensations around the coccyx or anus, and the sense of smell becomes so acute that offensive
odors are difficult to bear.
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Mooladhara is the direct switch for awakening ajna chakra. It belongs to bhu loka, the first
plane of mortal existence and it is the chief center of apana. Mooladhara is also the seat of
annamaya kosha, the body of nourishment, connected with the absorption of food and
evacuation of feces.
By meditating on kundalini in mooladhara chakra, a man becomes lord of speech, a king
among men and an adept in all kinds of learning. He becomes ever free from all diseases and
he remains cheerful at all times.
Balancing the nadis
Mooladhara is the base from which three main psychic channels or nadis emerge and flow
up the spinal cord. It is said that ida, the mental force, emerges from the left of mooladhara;
pingala, the vital force, from the right; and sushumna, the spiritual force, from the center.
According to tantra, this emanation point is highly volatile. When the positive and negative
forces of ida and pingala are completely balanced, an awakening is sparked off here which
arouses the dormant kundalini. Usually, this state of balance between ida and pingala nadis
can only be achieved sporadically and for short durations. This may be sufficient to trigger off
an awakening, but only a mild one, in which kundalini rises as far as swadhisthana or
manipura, and then drops back down to mooladhara again.
Therefore, the hatha yoga practices, particularly those of pranayama, are very important in
kundalini yoga, because they purify and rebalance the psychic flows. Once the state of
balance between ida and pingala becomes steady and ongoing, the awakening engendered in
mooladhara becomes explosive, and kundalini rises with great force, overcoming all obstacles
on its path until it reaches its ultimate destination in sahasrara.
Pranotthana versus kundalini
Many people have experiences in meditation when they feel the shakti rising through the
spinal cord from mooladhara to the brain. However, in most cases, this is not the awakening
of kundaiini, but a release of pranic force called pranotthana. This preliminary awakening
starts from mooladhara and ascends the spinal cord via pingala nadi, only partially purifying
the chakras until it reaches the brain where it is usually dispersed.
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In this type of awakening the experience of shakti is rarely sustained. However, it does
prepare the aspirant for the eventual awakening of kundalini, which is something altogether
different and more powerful. After the awakening of kundalini, the individual will never be
the same again. Here there is an ascent of force accompanied by a psychic awakening which
is permanently accessible. Even though it may fall back again, the potential will always be
there.
Mooladhara and sexual expression
Awakening of mooladhara chakra is very important, firstly because it is the seat of
kundalini, and secondly, as it is the seat of great tamas. All the passions are stored in
mooladhara, all the guilt, every complex and every agony has its root in mooiadhara chakra.
This chakra is physiologically related to the excretory, urinary, sexual and reproductive
organs. It is so important for everybody to awaken this chakra and get out of it. Man's life, his
desires, his actions and his accomplishments, are controlled by the sexual desires, and
whatever we do in life is an expression of that lower chakra. Our lower samskaras and karmas
are embedded there, as in lower incarnations, one's whole being is founded on the sexual
personality. Dr. Sigmund Freud has also emphasized this point. He said that one's selection of
clothing, food, friends, home furnishing and decor, etc., everything is influenced by his sexual
awareness.
All the schizophrenics and neurotics and many crazy people who are ridden with guilt and
complexes are people who have not been able to get the shakti out of mooladhara chakra. As a
result of this, their lives are imbalanced.
Sexual fulfillment and sexual frustrations control our life. If sexual urges are removed
from life, everything will change. Often we react to sexual life on account of bitter
experiences and we vow not to follow the same path again. We are fed up and on account of
that we say, 'No more'. But this is no solution, it's only a reaction and not the permanent
structure of our mind.
Unless mooladhara chakra is purified, its corresponding center in the brain will always
remain tamasic. We can live the same type of life as we do today, but we can make it much
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better. Sexual relationships are not a sin, but the consciousness must awaken and the purpose
of the whole act must be transmuted.
It is clearly stated in tantra that the purpose of the sexual act is threefold, and these
threefold purposes depend on the level and frequency of one's mind. Some people practise it
for procreation, because that's where their mind is at. Others practise it for pleasure only;
that's the level of their mind. And some people practise it to open the window to samadhi.
They don't care for procreation or the fulfillment of passion, they are only concerned with
awakening an experience and sublimating it. Through that experience they open the higher
centers. So those who practise the normal sexual act must awaken mooladhara chakra first.
Also, through the sexual act, a female can awaken mooladhara and swadhisthana chakras if
her partner is a yogi. Generally, for these chakras to awaken in a man's body, he will have to
practise kriya yoga and techniques such as vajroli.
There is another important thing we should all understand. A person who has controlled
his lower impulses, a yogi who is practising higher sadhana, doesn't have to give up his or her
partner and the marital relationship. If you think to be a yogi you must give up sex, why don't
you also give up eating and sleeping? Yoga has nothing to do with giving up these things; it is
only concerned with transforming their purpose and meaning.
The greatest mistake mankind has been making for thousands of years is that man has
been fighting with himself. He wants to renounce sex but he has not been able to do it.
Therefore it is important that mooladhara awakening takes place. Then you must make your
mind totally free.
Managing mooladhara awakening
When awakening takes place in mooladhara as the result of yoga practice or other spiritual
disciplines, many things explode into conscious awareness in the same way that an erupting
volcano pushes to the surface things that were hidden beneath the earth. With the awakening
of kundaiini there is simultaneous awakening of things from the unconscious field of human
existence which one may not have had prior conscious knowledge of whatsoever.
When mooladhara awakens, a number of phenomena occur. The first thing many
practitioners experience is levitation of the astral body. One has the sensation of floating
upward in space, leaving the physical body behind. This is due to the energy of kundaiini
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whose ascending momentum causes the astral body to disassociate from the physical and
move upward. This phenomenon is limited to the astral and possibly mental dimensions, and
this differs from what is normally called levitation - the actual displacement of the physical
body.
Besides astral levitation, one sometimes experiences psychic phenomena such as
clairvoyance or clairaudience. Other common manifestations include movements or
increasing warmth in the area of the coccyx, or a creeping sensation, like something moving
slowly up the spinal cord. These sensations result from the ascension of shakti or the
awakened kundalini.
In most cases, when the shakti reaches manipura chakra, it begins to descend to
mooladhara again. Sometimes the practitioner feels that the energy ascends to the top of the
head, but usually only a very small portion of the shakti is able to pass beyond manipura.
Repeated earnest attempts are necessary for further ascension of kundalini, but once kundalini
passes manipura, serious obstacles are rarely encountered.
However, when kundalini is ascending from mooladhara to swadhisthana, the sadhaka
experiences a crucial period in which all his repressed emotions, especially those of a more
primal nature, express themselves. Passions mount during this period and all kinds of
infatuations ensue, making the sadhaka extremely irritable and unstable at times. He can be
seen sitting quietly in contemplation one moment and hurling objects at someone the next.
One day he may sleep deeply for hours together, another day he may get up at one or two in
the morning to take bath and meditate. He becomes very passionate, loud and talkative, while
at other times he is silent. At this stage the sadhaka often expresses a great fondness for
singing.
During this period of intense psychic and emotional upheaval, the guidance of a qualified
and understanding guru is essential. Although some people may regard this emotional turmoil
as the indication of a great fall, the guru will assure the aspirant that it is an essential part of
spiritual life which will accelerate his evolution. If this explosion doesn't take place, the same
purging process will still occur, but very slowly, as problems arise and work themselves out
life after life.
Mooladhara is one of the most important and exciting, but also disturbing of the psychic
centers which are awakened through the practices of kundalini yoga. For this reason, the
awakening of ajna chakra should always accompany mooladhara awakening. The mental
faculties of ajna chakra give the practitioner an ability to witness the events of mooladhara
awakening objectively, with greater understanding. This makes the whole experience less
disturbing and traumatic.
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When ajna is awakened, you will find that mooladhara is the easiest of chakras to awaken.
The gross mind can concentrate on this center and manipulate it with ease. As your body and
mind begin to break their animal bonds, your awareness expands and you are able to envision
the greater possibility of your creative potential.
Chapter 5
Swadhisthana Chakra
The Sanskrit word swa means 'one's own' and adhisthana means 'dwelling place or
residence'. Therefore, swadhisthana means 'one's own abode'. Although mooladhara occupies
a very important place in the scheme of the chakras, swadhisthana, which is located very near
to mooladhara, is also involved in and responsible for the awakening of kundalini shakti in
mooladhara. In fact, it is said that previously the seat of kundalini was in swadhisthana, but
there was a fall and subsequently mahakundalini came to rest in mooladhara.
The location point
Swadhisthana corresponds to the reproductive and urinary systems in the gross body and is
physiologically related to the prostatic or utero-vaginal plexus of nerves. The location of
swadhisthana is at the base of the spinal column, at the level of the coccyx or tailbone. This is
a small bony bulb which can be felt just above the anus. It is anatomically very close to
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mooladhara chakra in both the male and female bodies. Swadhisthana kshetram is in the front
of the body at the level of the pubic bone.
Traditional symbology
Swadhisthana can be experienced as black in color, as it is the seat of primary ignorance.
However, traditionally it is depicted as a six petalled vermilion or orange-red lotus. On each
petal there is a letter: bam, bham, mam, yam, ram, and lam, written in the color of lightning.
The element of this chakra is water, symbolized by a white crescent moon within the
pericarp of the lotus. The crescent moon is formed by two circles which engender two further
yantras. The larger has outward turned petals and represents the conscious dimension of
existence. On the inside of the crescent moon is a similar petalled but smaller circle with
petals facing inwards. This is the unconscious dimension, the store of formless karma. These
two yantras are separated by the white crocodile in the crescent moon. The crocodile is the
vehicle which carries the whole phantom of unconscious life. It symbolizes the subterranean
movement of the karmas. Seated on the crocodile is the bija mantra vam, also stainless and
white.
Within the bindu of the mantra reside the deva Vishnu and the devi Rakini. Vishnu has
four arms, his body is of a luminous blue, he is wearing yellow raiment and lie is beautiful to
behold. Rakini is the color of a blue lotus and she is clothed in celestial raiment and
ornaments. In her uplifted arms she holds various weapons and her mind is exalted from
drinking nectar. She is the goddess of the vegetable kingdom, and as swadhisthana chakra is
closely related to the vegetable world, the observance of a vegetarian diet is said to be an
important practice for awakening this chakra.
The loka for swadhisthana is bhuvar, the intermediate plane of spiritual awareness. The
tanmatra or sense connected with this chakra is taste. The gyanendriya or sense of knowledge
is the tongue. The karmendriya or sense of action is the sexual organs, kidneys and urinary
system. The chief vayu of swadhisthana is vyana which courses throughout the bodys and
swadhisthana and manipura are the seat of pranamaya kosha.
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It is said that he who meditates on kundalini in swadhisthana chakra is immediately freed
from his internal enemies - lust, anger, greed, etc. His nectar-like words flow in prose and
verse and in well-reasoned discourse. He becomes like the sun illumining the darkness of
ignorance.
Home of unconscious
Swadhisthana is regarded as the substratum or basis of individual human existence. Its
counterpart in the brain is the unconscious mind and its storehouse of mental impressions or
samskaras. It is said that all the karmas, the past lives, the previous experiences, the greater
dimension of the human personality that is unconscious, can be symbolized by swadhisthana
chakra. Individual being takes root in the unconscious mind, and the many instinctive drives
that are felt at the level of this chakra bubble up from the depths of the unconscious.
In tantra there is the concept of the animal, and the master of the animal. In Sanskrit,
pashu means animal and pati means master. Pashupati is the master or controller of all the
animal instincts. This is one of the names of Lord Shiva, and it is also one of the attributes of
swadhisthana chakra. According to mythology, pashupati is the total unconscious. It has
absolute control over mooladhara chakra and the animal propensities during the first
milestone of man's evolution.
The unconscious principle of swadhisthana should never be considered as an inactive or
dormant process. Rather it is far more dynamic and powerful than the normal consciousness.
When the shakti enters swadhisthana chakra there is an overwhelming experience of this
unconscious state. It is different from mooladhara, which is the manifest expression of that
unconscious. In mooladhara, the karmas of the lower stages of our evolution are manifested in
the form of anger, greed, jealousy, passion, love, hatred and so on. There we are working out
that karma, manifesting and expressing it overtly. At the level of swadhisthana, however,
there is no conscious activity or manifestation. This is hiranyagarbha, the universal womb,
where everything exists in a potential state. In the Rig Veda it is said:
"In the beginning of creation there was hiranyagarbha, then came all the living beings, all
the beings that exist, and He was the protector of all."
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In the collective unconscious, the samskaras and the karmas exist in a seed state. For
example, yesterday you may have had a pleasant or a painful experience. That experience has
become a subconscious process or force which is acting, coloring your conscious awareness
today. Like this, there are many experiences from the past which we do not consciously recall
but nevertheless they are playing a part in determining our daily behavior, attitudes and
reactions. There are many karmas influencing us in this way, but we remain completely
unaware of them.
According to tantra each and every perception, experience and association is recorded. If
you have a quarrel or bitter exchange, that is a very strong registration. However, if you
happen to pass someone on the path, look at him and walk on, this is also registered. Many
things come within your range of association, and they are all automatically registered. They
are not analyzed, but simply filed away in some layer of the mind. All those insignificant and
unimpressive karmas, which have been registered automatically in our consciousness, form
the total unconscious.
In kundalini yoga, swadhisthana is often regarded as a hindrance in the sense that these
karmas lying embedded in the unconscious do not allow the rising kundalini to pass through.
After the initial awakening, kundalini returns to dormancy time and time again, solely due to
the karmic block at swadhisthana. These karmas are beyond the range of analysis. They have
practically no form but they are a great force. To give a crude analogy, suppose there is a big
water tank into which you drop all kinds of things. If you were to empty the tank five years
later and examine the contents, you would no longer find those same objects which you put
in. The matter would still be there but its form would have changed. The collective karma of
the unconscious exists in swadhisthana as a form or force somewhat like the matter in this
tank.
Therefore, the awakening of swadhisthana presents many difficulties to the sadhaka. When
the explosion takes place and swadhisthana begins to erupt, the aspirant is often confused and
disturbed by the activation of all this subconscious material. It is totally impossible for him to
understand these impressions, which are often attributed to a disturbed mental condition.
Although the sadhaka may be duly apprehensive about entering this stage of awakening, it
is absolutely necessary for his spiritual evolution. Provided he has a competent guru or guide
who knows how to avoid all the pitfalls of this area, swadhisthana can be traversed safely and
without problems.
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Swadhisthana and purgatory
When kundalini is residing in swadhisthana chakra, the last vestige of karma is being
thrown out and all the negative samskaras express themselves and are expelled. At this time
you may be angry, afraid or full of sexual fantasies and passion. You may also experience
lethargy, indolence, depression and all kinds of tamasic characteristics. The tendency to
procrastinate is very strong and you just want to sleep and sleep. This stage of evolution is
known as purgatory, and if you read the lives of many of the great saints, you will find that
most of them encountered great turmoil and temptations when they were passing through this
stage.
When Lord Buddha was sitting beneath the bodhi tree waiting for enlightenment, he was
visited by Mara. Mara is a demonical mythological force, the same force which the Bible
refers to as Satan. Just as Satan is a tempter, so Mara is a temptress. This demonical force is
not external; it is an internal force which can be found in everybody. It is situated at a very
great depth of our personality and is capable of creating illusion. In the Buddhist tradition
Mara is represented by a big snake, a grotesque looking person with big teeth and a horrible
face, or as beautiful naked women hovering around waiting to embrace an aspirant who is
involved in his sadhana. These are all mythological symbols no doubt, but they are realities.
Only those who are fearless and of strong willpower can survive through the temptation.
Every great man and every saint has had to undergo this peculiar experience, which is like the
ultimate explosion of the seed of life. It seems that the seed of man's cycle of birth and rebirth
is situated in swadhisthana chakra. And although most people confront difficulties when
they're moving through the terrain of swadhisthana, if one has the grace of guru and
indomitable and invincible willpower, and if he has been sincere and not hypocritical in his
spiritual pursuits, if he's very clear about his goal and he understands what these purgatory
experiences are, he can face the difficulties properly and overcome them.
If one fluctuates even slightly, kundalini will return to mooladhara and the real awakening
will be more difficult. Therefore, in the first stages of sadhana and awakening, one must have
a supreme kind of vairagya (detachment). It should not be intellectual vairagya, but the
outcome of a thorough analysis of the situations of life. Where is the end to the pleasures of
life ? Can you ever satisfy your desires ? Even when you reach the age of 80 or 90 and your
body can no longer enjoy pleasures, the mind still dwells on them constantly. You can leave
all the sensual pleasures, but the taste will remain in the mind.
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If the sadhaka understands this truth, that desires can never be satisfied in one lifetime, or
even in thousands of lifetimes, then kundalini can pass through swadhisthana safely and
relatively fast, and make its way to manipura chakra. Without this understanding,
swadhisthana becomes like an impenetrable iron curtain and perhaps only one in thousands
can transcend it. Many people awaken kundalini quite easily, but passing the swadhisthana
border is another thing; you can't get through without a visa.
The sexual crisis
I remember reading a book written by a wellknown swami who had difficulties getting
through swadhisthana. He wrote: "I was sitting all night and nothing but sex and sensual
thoughts came to my mind. And I dreamed of many women presenting themselves in their
naked form, and my whole body was becoming hot and cold, hot and cold. Ultimately I got a
headache, and at one point, I thought my heart would collapse.
"Throughout the crisis, my guru's face used to come like a glimpse. His face was stern and
expressionless, and that used to bring my temperature back to normal. However, this
confrontation I was having with a powerful side of my mind continued until morning. At last,
when morning came I breathed a sigh of relief. But then, when I sat for meditation in the
evening, I had mixed feelings. I had fear in my mind and confidence as well.
"Day in and day out the mind played its tricks on me. Then one night Parvati came to me.
Parvati is the shakti of Lord Shiva, and she is the divine mother. I knew she was Parvati, but
because she looked so beautiful and she was wearing almost transparent clothing, I began to
desire her. Rather than remembering that she was the divine mother, my mind was more
aware of the form behind the transparent apparel.
"Like a flash of lightning my guru showed his face and I regained my senses and prayed,
'Mother, withdraw your maya. I can't face these experiences. You are the giver of liberation
and you are the creator of illusion. You have the power to cast me back into the cycle of birth
and rebirth and you have the power to lift me from this quagmire of ignorance.'
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"As I prayed, tears rolled down my face and I felt a cool breeze passing through the
interior of my body. The whole panorama vanished and I understood that kundalini had
passed through swadhisthana and was now heading towards manipura."
Transforming the primal energy
When no sexual desires of any kind manifest in an aspirant any more, and when there is no
more personal attraction, that means kundalini has passed beyond swadhisthana chakra.
However, when dealing with the subject of sex, your understanding must be very thorough.
Although you may not be having any sexual awareness at the moment, that doesn't mean your
desires have been exterminated. They might be in a suppressed state. There is an automatic
process of suppression in the human constitution, and that is inherent in our own mental
being.
Hindu rishis have stated that sexual awareness and desires can manifest at any stage of
evolution. They are very acute and clearly expressed when one is in swadhisthana and having
continual fantasies, but sexual awareness never really dies because it is fueled by the primal
energy which is present all throughout. Sex is only an expression of that, and therefore it can
manifest at any stage, and one should never think that he has transcended it. It is even present
when one is in the highest state of consciousness. The only difference is that in swadhisthana
it is in a very disturbed state, whereas in the higher centers of evolution it is in a seed form.
After all, what is bhakti or devotion; what is union? They are the sublimated pure form of
sexual energy.
Energy at different levels is known by different names. At the highest level it is called
spiritual experience. On the emotional level it is known as love. On the physical level it is
known as sex, and at the lowest level it is known as avidya or ignorance. So therefore, when
you talk about sex, you must understand that it is only a particular formation of energy. Just as
curd, butter and cheese are different formations of the one thing - milk, energy has different
manifestations. Matter is the grossest manifestation of energy; in the ultimate state, matter is
energy. Therefore, energy and matter are intraconvertible. A thought is an object and an
object is a thought. This body is consciousness and consciousness has become this body. In
the same way that you understand this, you have to reanalyze and redefine sexual awareness.
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The rishis say that the same energy which flows through passion, when channelized,
manifests as devotion. Channelize this same energy again and it manifests as spiritual
experience. That is why spiritual aspirants love God in various manifestations. Some picture
him as a father, a mother, a child, a friend, husband or lover. In this way, they can sublimate
the form of their emotional energy and even transform the primal energy into a divine
experience.
Psychic propensities of swadhisthana
At a higher level, swadhisthana acts as the switch for bindu. This is the point where primal
sound originates. Any awakening in swadhisthana is simultaneously carried up to bindu,
where it is experienced in the form of the sound body, which is an important psychic attribute
of this chakra.
According to the tantric texts, there are many other psychic propensities gained through
the awakening of swadhisthana chakra. These include: loss of fear of water, dawning of
intuitive knowledge, awareness of astral entities, and the ability to taste anything desired for
oneself or others.
It must be remembered that up to swadhisthana, the consciousness is not yet purified. Due
to ignorance and confusion, the psychic powers awakened at this level are often accompanied
by maleficent mental attributes. What happens here when the aspirant tries to manifest or
express himself through the psychic medium is that more often than not it becomes a vehicle
for personal and lower tendencies rather than for the divine.
The sum and substance is this - awakening of kundalini is not a difficult task, but to get
beyond swadhisthana is. For that you must improve the general background of your psychoemotional life. Once you pass swadhisthana you will not have to face any explosive traumas
again, but there will be other difficulties further on. Kundalini is unlikely to descend again as
it is destined to move on, but the problems you will confront will be concerned with siddhis,
and they are more difficult to subdue.
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Chapter 6
Manipura Chakra
Manipura is derived from two Sanskrit words: mani meaning 'jewel' and рura meaning
"city". Therefore, manipura literally means "city of jewels". In theTibetan tradition, this
chakra is known as mani padma, which means "jewelled lotus".
Manipura is a very important center as far as the awakening of kundalini shakti is
concerned. It is the center of dynamism, energy, will and achievement and it is often
compared to the dazzling heat and power of the sun, without which life on earth would not
exist. In the same way that the sun continually radiates energy to the planets, manipura chakra
radiates and distributes pranic energy throughout the entire human framework, regulating and
energizing the activity of the various organs, systems and processes of life. When deficient, it
is more like the glowing embers of a dying fire rather than a powerful intense blaze. In this
state the individual is rendered lifeless, vitality deficient and devoid of energy. He will be
hindered by poor health, depression and lack of motivation and commitment in life.
Therefore, the awakening of manipura is an important precedent, not only for the sadhaka, but
for anyone who wishes to enjoy life more fully.
The location point
Manipura chakra is located directly behind the navel on the inner wall of the spinal
column. The kshetram is situated right at the navel. This chakra is anatomically related to the
solar plexus, which controls the digestive fire and heat regulation in the body.
Traditional symbology
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Manipura is symbolized by a ten petalled bright yellow lotus. Some of the tantric texts say
the lotus petals are the color of heavily-laden rain clouds. On each petal one of the ten letters:
dam, dham, nam, tam, tham, dam, dham, nam, раm and pham is inscribed in the color of the
blue lotus. In the center of the lotus is the region of fire, symbolized by an inverted fiery red
triangle which shines like the rising sun. The triangle has a bhupura or swastika in the shape
of a T on each of its three sides. In the lower apex is the ram, vehicle for manipura,
symbolizing dynamism and indomitable endurance. Seated on the ram is the bija mantra of
manipura - ram. In the bindu reside the deva Rudra and the devi Lakini. Rudra is of a pure
vermilion hue and he is smeared with white ashes. He is three-eyed and of an ancient aspect.
Lakini, the benefactress of all, is four-armed, of dark complexion and radiant body. She is
clothed in yellow raiment, decked with various ornaments and exalted from drinking nectar.
The tanmatra of manipura is sight. The gyanendriya or organ of knowledge is the eyes,
and the karmendriya or organ of action is the feet. These two organs are closely linked in the
sense that vision and willful action are interdependent processes.
Manipura belongs to swaha loka, the heavenly plane of existence. This is the last of the
mortal planes. Its guna is predominantly rajas (activity, intensity, acquisitiveness), whereas
the lower chakras are predominantly tamasic (lethargic and negative). The tattwa is agni, the
fire element, which is very important in kundalini yoga. Its vayu is samana, which digests and
distributes the essence of food to the entire system. Manipura and swadhisthana chakras are
the seat of pranamaya kosha.
In the yogic scriptures it is said that the moon at bindu secretes nectar which falls down to
manipura and is consumed by the sun. This results in the ongoing process of degeneration
which leads to old age, disease and death. This process can be reversed in the human body by
adopting certain yogic practices which send the pranic forces in manipura back up to the
brain. Otherwise the vitality is quickly dissipated and lost in the mundane affairs of life.
It is said that meditation on manipura chakra leads to knowledge of the entire physical
system. When this center is purified and awakened, the body becomes disease-free and
luminous, and the yogi's consciousness does not fall back into the lower states.
The center of awakening
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According to the Buddhist tradition and many of the tantric texts, the actual awakening of
kundalini takes place from manipura and not from mooladhara. And in some tantric traditions,
mooladhara and swadhisthana are not referred to at all, as these two centers are believed to
belong to the higher realms of animal life, whereas from manipura onwards higher man
predominates. So mooladhara is the seat of kundalini, swadhisthana is the abode, and the
awakening takes place in manipura. This is because from manipura the awakening becomes
ongoing and there is practically no danger of a downfall or devolution of consciousness. Up to
this point, kundalini may awaken and arise many times, only to recede again, but awakening
of manipura is what we call a confirmed awakening.
To stabilize the awareness in manipura and sustain the awakening there is not easy. The
sadhaka must be very earnest and persevering in his effort to bring about further awakenings.
I have found that in sincere sadhakas, kundalini is mostly in manipura. If you are exposed to
spiritual life, practise yoga, have a keen desire to find a guru and to pursue a higher life, side
by side with the work you are doing, it means kundalini is not in mooladhara. It is in
manipura or one of the higher centers.
Union of prana and apana
In tantra there is an important branch known as swara yoga, the science of the breath,
which is used to bring about the awakening of kundalini. According to this system, all the
pranas in the body are classified into five dimensions - prana, apana, vyana, udana and
samana.At the navel region, there is an important junction where two of these vital forces prana and apana, meet.
The prana moves upwards and downwards between the navel and the throat, and the apana
flows up and down between the perineum and the navel. These two movements are normally
coupled together like two railway carriages, so that with the inspired breath, prana is
experienced to move up from the navel to the throat while apana is simultaneously moving up
to the navel center from mooladhara. Then with exhalation, prana descends from the throat to
the navel and apana descends from manipura to mooladhara. In this way prana and apana are
continually functioning together and changing direction with the flow of the inspired/expired
breath.
This movement can be readily experienced through relaxed breath awareness in the
psychic passages between the perineal region, the navel and the throat centers in the front of
the body. By gaining control through particular kriyas, the apana is separated from prana, and
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its flow is reversed to bring about the awakening of the chakra. Whereas the apana normally
descends from manipura during expiration, the flow is reversed so that prana and apana both
enter the navel center simultaneously from above and below, and are joined. This is the union
of prana and apana.
It is said that when kundalini wakes up in mooladhara it begins to ascend spirally, like a
hissing snake. However, the awakening of kundalini in manipura takes place like a blast, as
the prana and the redirected apana meet in the navel center. It is like two great forces colliding
with each other and then fusing together at this pranic junction, manipura kshetram. As they
fuse together, they create heat and an energy or force which is conducted directly back from
the navel to the manipura chakra within the spinal cord. It is this force which awakens
manipura chakra. The force of sadhana has caused a total reorganization of the pranic flow in
the body, so that mooladhara is transcended and the new base of kundalini is manipura
chakra.
Manipura in perspective
Human evolution takes place through seven planes in the same way that kundalini
awakens in the seven chakras. When the consciousness evolves to manipura, the sadhaka
acquires a spiritual perspective. He gets a glimpse of the higher lokas or planes of existence.
From mooladhara and swadhisthana the higher planes cannot be seen. Therefore, the
limitations of perception in the lower planes are responsible for the misuse of siddhis or
powers which begin to manifest there. Only when the sadhaka reaches manipura is he able to
visualize before him the infinite state of consciousness which is no longer gross and
empirical. It stretches before him endlessly, full of beauty, truth and auspiciousness. In the
face of this vision, all his views are completely changed. The personal prejudices, complexes
and biases drop away as the endless beauty and perfection of the higher worlds dawn within
the consciousness.
As long as the evolution is in the planes of mooladhara and swadhisthana, one has his own
mental and emotional problems and he sees the whole world correspondingly. But as soon as
he transcends these planes and goes to manipura, he will see all the bliss, noble views, perfect
ideas and greater possibilities of human consciousness. Then, naturally, whatever he thinks
and does will be influenced by this higher vision.
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This is why the psychic powers that come to the sadhaka after having awakened and
established the kundalini in manipura are really benevolent and compassionate, whereas those
which manifest in mooladhara and swadhisthana are still tinged by the dark aspect of the
lower mind.
The powers gained through the awakening of manipura chakra are the ability to create and
destroy, self-defence, the acquisition of hidden treasures, no fear of fire, knowledge of one's
own body, freedom from disease and the ability of withdrawing the energy to sahasrara.
Chapter 7
Anahata Chakra
In kundalini yoga, anahata chakra is a center of great importance. This is because
although awakening from manipura is constant, kundalini has to remain in anahata for quite a
long time.
It is said that in this present age the consciousness of mankind is passing through a phase
of anahata. It means that in many people anahata chakra has started to function, but there is a
difference between functioning and awakening. In most people, anahata is not completely
active, but it functions slightly. Mooladhara on the other hand is very active and almost awake
in the majority of people today.
The word anahata actually means 'unstruck or unbeaten'. And this center is known as such
because of its relationship with the heart, which throbs, beats or vibrates to a constant
unbroken rhythm. It is said in many of the scriptures that there is a sound which is nonphysical and non-empirical, which is transcendental in nature, and this sound is endless and
unbroken in the same way that the heart beats faithfully and continuously from before birth up
until death.
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The location point
Anahata chakra is situated in the spinal column on the inner wall, directly behind the
center of the chest. The kshetram is at the heart, and although anahata is known as the heart
center, this should not be misinterpreted to mean the biological heart, the muscular pump
within the chest. Although its physiological component is the cardiac plexus of nerves, the
nature of this center is far beyond the physiological dimension.
In yoga the heart center is also known as hriday-akasha, which means 'the space within the
heart where purity resides'. This chakra is a very delicate center, for it is directly connected
with that part of the brain which is responsible for all the creative sciences and fine arts such
as painting, dance, music, poetry, etc.
Traditional symbology
Although most of the tantric texts say anahata is a shining crimson color, like that of the
bandhuka flower, my experience is that it is blue in color. It has twelve petals and on each a
letter is inscribed in vermilion: kam, kham, gam, gham, anga, cham, chham, jam, jham, nyam,
tam and tham.
The inner region is hexagonal in shape, representing the air element, vayu tattva. It is made
up of two interlaced triangles, symbolizing the union of Shiva and Shakti. The inverted
triangle is the symbol of creativity, Shakti; and the upright triangle represents consciousness
or Shiva. The vehicle, located within the hexagon, is a black antelope, which is known for its
alertness and fleetness of foot. Above it is situated the bija mantra yam, which is dark grey in
color. Within the bindu of this mantra is the presiding deva, Isha (Lord in an all-pervading
form), who is lustrous like the sun. With him is the devi Kakini (benefactress of all), who is
yellow in color, three-eyed, four-armed, auspicious and exhilarated.
In the center of the pericarp of the lotus is an inverted triangle, within which burns the
akhanda jyotir, unflickering eternal flame, representing the jivatma or individual soul. Some
of the tantric texts say there is a shivalinga inside the triangle. It is called the bana linga and is
like shining gold.
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Below the main lotus of anahata is a subsidiary lotus with red petals, which contain the
kalpa taru or wish fulfilling tree. Many saints have recommended visualization of the kalpa
taru or of a still lake within the anahata hexagon. Upon this lake there is a beautiful blue lotus.
You may have seen this symbol because several ashrams and spiritual missions utilize it.
Anahata belongs to maha loka, the first of the immortal planes. Its vayu is prana, which
passes through the nose and mouth, and its tanmatra is feeling or touch. The gyanendriya is
the skin and the karmendriya is the hands. Anahata chakra represents manomaya kosha,
controlling the mind and emotions.
Vishnu granthi, the second psychic knot, is located at this heart center. It represents the
bondage of emotional attachment, the tendency to live one's life making decisions on the
strength of the emotions and feelings rather than in the light of the spiritual quest. Vishnu
granthi is untied as the emotions harmonize and enhance, rather than oppose the spiritual
awakening.
It is said that he who meditates on the heart lotus is foremost among yogis and adored by
women. He is preeminently wise and full of noble deeds. His senses are completely under
control and his mind can be engrossed in intense concentration. His speech is inspired and he
has the ability to enter another's body at will.
Fate and freewill
In the tantric scriptures it is said that anahata chakra is where the thoughts and desires of
the individual are materialized and fulfilled. There are basically two ways of thinking dependently or independently. Up to manipura chakra the first approach holds true, but once
the shakti pierces anahata, the second approach takes precedence.
This means that as long as the consciousness is centered in the lower chakras, you will
remain completely dependent on what is already enjoined for you, your fate or destiny. This is
called prarabdha karma. Even the awakening of the lower chakras does not make much
difference. Once the consciousness ascends through manipura chakra, you become master
over some of the situations of life, but you are still influenced and bound by your prarabdha
karma. You know that you can escape it, but you don't know how.
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The lower chakras belong to the empirical world of body, mind and senses. People who
accept their fate as inevitable have not yet transcended rnooladhara and swadhisthana chakras.
Manipura is still considered earthly, although it lies at the boundary between mortal and
immortal planes. Those who actively shape their own destiny through strength of will
channelled in a positive direction, which leads to realization and achievement, are in the realm
of manipura.
Anahata chakra is almost completely beyond these empirical dimensions. Here, one
realizes that fate is of course real, but still one can go totally beyond its dictates. It is like
throwing something into the sky. If you are able to hurl that object right out of the
gravitational field, then it will no longer be pulled down by the earth's magnetic forces. Just as
a rocket is launched at tremendous speed in order to go beyond the gravitational pull of the
earth, so the consciousness is accelerated in anahatato the speed of freewill in order to
transcend the pull of latent samskaras.
It is only when you reach anahata chakra that you become a yogi. Up until then, whether
you are in mooladhara, swadhisthana or manipura, you are a yoga practitioner. In anahata you
become a yogi because you are completely established in yogic consciousness and you
depend solely upon the power of your own consciousness rather than on anything that is
external or concerning faith.
Wish fulfillment
In anahata chakra, the freedom to escape from a preordained fate and to determine one's
own destiny becomes a reality. According to the tantras, at the root of anahata there is a wish
fulfilling tree known as the kalpa taru or kalpa vriksha. When this tree starts to fructify,
whatever you think or wish comes true.
Ordinarily, we have so many wishes but they rarely assume more than the air of a
daydream. However, if they were all to become realities, we would quickly start to question
whether we want our wishes fulfilled at all. Most people prefer to depend on fate rather than
take responsibility for creating their own destiny, and well they should. There is a fine story
which is often told to illustrate this:
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Once a traveller was sitting underneath a tree. He was feeling very tired and wanted to
have a drink. So he thought of a clear stream, and immediately he heard the trickle of water
flowing beside him. After drinking some water, he thought he would like to have a little food
to satisfy his hunger, and that appeared beside him also. Then, as he was feeling tired and
thought he would like to rest, there appeared before him a nice bed, and so he went to sleep.
The foolish man did not know that he had come to rest beneath the wish fulfilling tree. In the
evening when he awoke, the sun had already set and night had fallen. He got up and the
thought came to his mind: 'Oh, it is terribly dark, perhaps the tigers will come and eat me', and
so they did.
This is what can happen to anyone who awakens the wish fulfilling capacity without
sufficient preparation. If the consciousness awakens in anahata, but you do not know the
powers of your mind, or you possess negative, pessimistic attitudes, dark approaches to life,
apprehensions, fears and many other negative mental tendencies, then you will immediately
fall prey to them. If this happens, you risk the possibility of falling back from anahata. And if
you fall from anahata, there is hardly any chance of making a second start. To avoid a
downfall at this point, it is necessary to always remain as alert as the antelope, which is
sensitive to each and every sound. The antelope is the vehicle of anahata for this reason; it is
not the symbol of restlessness, but of alertness.
When whatever you wish for comes true, this makes you very happy, but at the same time,
it is necessary to constantly analyze your attitude towards yourself and others. You have to be
very careful of doubting thoughts. For example, if you develop a few palpitations of the heart
and think: 'Perhaps I am developing angina pectoris', or a pain in the abdomen and think:
'Now I have appendicitis or gall bladder disease', such thoughts may bring many problems
and disorders in their wake. You must also guard against doubts concerning others: 'Maybe
that man is my enemy', 'My son is sick, maybe he will die', 'My friend has not contacted me,
he must have had an accident'. It is important to have a firm and alert control over the mental
tendencies and fantasies of the mind.
All sorts of thoughts concerning the body, children, wife, family, monetary, social,
economic or political situations come to us all the time. If kundalini is asleep, these thoughts
have no power, but when kundalini awakens in anahata chakra, all these thoughts suddenly
become realities. Unless we are ever alert at this stage we will place our own destructive hand
on our head.
In the tantric text Saundarya Lahari, this wish fulfilling process is aptly described as the
chintamani, or wish fulfilling gem. Here chinta applies to the 'process of selective thought'
and mani means 'jewel'. Therefore, chintamani means the 'jewel of correct and positive
thinking'. In this text, anahata is described as the garden of the devas. At the center is a small
divine lake inside which is the chintamani. It is not necessary to obtain this jewel; as long as
you can realize your proximity to it that is enough, then whatever you think comes true.
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Develop a new way of thinking
When anahata chakra blooms and awakens, you must have very good sangha,
associations. You should never associate with people who depend on their fate. Rather, you
should always associate with those who depend on faith. You must have unswerving faith in
the power of your own will. Even in the face of tremendous odds, be unflinching. Then you
will succeed. Willpower is never the outcome of suggestion. If you are ill and you say a
hundred times, 'I am well, I am well, I am well...', this is called autosuggestion. It is not will.
Will is something more than this. 'Even if my son is suffering from the worst disease and
medical science has declared that he is about to die, I know he will not.' This is how you have
to think and use your will.
The first preparation, therefore, with regards to awakening anahata is to change your entire
way of thinking. If you are the type of person whose thoughts and wishes often come true,
even when conditions seem to be opposed to that outcome, then it is necessary to develop a
certain amount of caution along with a new way of thinking.
You must become extremely optimistic and positive, always full of hope. You must never
dwell in the negativity of the mind. Physically, mentally and spiritually, you must be
completely at peace with yourself, with people outside and with the whole community at
large. Though the world is full of conflicts, contradictions and deep animosities, you have to
always feel deep peace throughout your being. Never be negative about any situation in life.
Even if you meet a murderer, hopeless gambler or a debaucher, to you he is a good man.
Every situation is a good one for you and the future is always bright. In all circumstances this
must be your attitude. It makes no difference whether you are amidst poverty, suffering,
disease, conflict, divorce, emotional crises and discord. It is all part of the good, therefore you
accept it.
You have to think only one thought resolutely, 'The whole world is in me', or 'I am in
everyone'. When you are able to develop this universal sort of attitude, the kundalini will
shine forth and pierce the fifth chakra - vishuddhi, the center of immortality. This is the
importance and significance of anahata. Perhaps the best mantra for the heart center is Оm
Shanti. 'Om' is the universal cosmic vibration which permeates the whole creation and 'Shanti'
means peace.
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Love without expectations
Anahata chakra awakens refined emotion in the brain and its awakening is characterized
by a feeling of universal, unlimited love for all beings. Of course there are many people in the
world who practise kindness and charity, but they have selfishness. Their charity is not an
expression of anahata chakra and spiritual compassion, it is human compassion. When you
have human compassion you open hospitals and feeding centers or you give clothing, money
and medicine in charity, but that is human charity.
How can we tell the difference between human charity and spiritual charity? In human
charity there is always an element of selfishness. If I want to make you a Hindu by giving you
things, this is a manifestation of human charity. Or if I want to make you my followers I can
show you great kindness, but that's human kindness. However, when anahata awakens all
your actions are controlled and ruled by unselfishness and you develop spiritual compassion.
You understand that love does not involve bargaining; it is free of expectation.
Every form of love is contaminated by selfishness, even the love you have for God,
because you are expecting something from him. Perhaps in this world, the love with minimum
selfishness is a mother's love. Of course it is not totally unselfish, but because a mother's
sacrifices are so great, her love has minimum selfishness.
The qualities of anahata chakra can be awakened by many methods. The symbol of
anahata chakra is a blue lotus, and in the center are two interlaced triangles. This lotus
represents the opening of man's heart. Music, art, sculpture, literature, poetry, all these are
important aids to the development of anahata chakra. And when anahata opens, your
understanding of all beings changes a lot. There is a story about it.
In India there is a traditional pilgrimage in which sadhakas go north to the source of
Ganga, take some water from there and carry it across the continent to South India. Here they
go to a temple and pour the holy water over a shivalingam. The distance they have to cover in
this pilgrimage is almost 3,000 miles.
Once a saint had almost completed this pilgrimage and he was carrying a container full of
Ganga water. As he entered the precincts of the temple where he was to bathe the
shivalingam, he found a donkey which was desperately pining for water. Immediately he
opened his can and gave water to the donkey. His fellow travellers cried out, 'Hey, what are
you doing? You have brought this water from such a long distance to give bath to Lord Shiva,
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and here you are giving it to an ordinary animal!' But the saint didn't see it that way. His mind
was working at a different and much higher frequency.
Here is another example: Once Lord Buddha was going for an evening walk. He came
across an old man and he was greatly moved by the sufferings of old age. Next he saw a dead
person, and again he was moved very much. How many times do we see old men? Are we
moved like he was? No, because our minds are different. Awakening of a chakra alters the
frequency of the mind and immediately influences our day to day relationships with people
and our surroundings.
Love overcomes ego
Anahata chakra can be aroused and awakened by the practice of bhakti yoga, in which
there is no place for egotistical consciousness. Your devotion can be for God or guru. It is
easy to practise devotion to God because he does not check your ego, or even if he does, you
don't know it. But when you practise devotion to guru, the first thing he does is 'egodectomy.'
So when you direct your devotion to guru, you have lots of difficulties. If you only meet your
guru from time to time, the problems are invisible, but if you live with him, the problems are
greater. Therefore, many people think it is safer to have a guru who is no longer living.
Not only is ego an obstacle on the spiritual path, it is also the greatest barrier to harmony
and cordiality in family and social life. Therefore, in order to treat the ego there are two very
important paths. One is karma yoga and the other is bhakti yoga. Ego can never be removed
by intellectual persuasion. It can never be subdued or eliminated unless you develop the
highest form of love. Just as the sun removes darkness, love removes ego. These two can
never coexist.
So, in order to induce anahata awakening we should definitely practise bhakti yoga.When
kundaliniis established in anahata there is absolute devotion and even a confirmed atheist will
change. However, awakening of anahata is not only a way to God or guru, it is also a way to
complete unity and harmony in family life. Therefore, in India, most Hindu women are
initiated into bhakti yoga at a very young age. When they are four to six years old they are
taught to practise devotion to Lord Shiva, Krishna, Rama, Vishnu, Lakshmi, Durga and so on,
because it is easier for women to develop anahata chakra. For this reason women are also told
to use anahata as their center for meditation, whereas men are generally advised to
concentrate on ajna chakra. Anahata is the seat of human love and the seat of divine love.
They are not two things, they are one and the same.
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Psychic propensities of anahata chakra
Prior to the awakening of anahata there may be frequent pain in the chest or irregular
functioning of the heart, such as accelerated pulse. However, rather than feeling ill, one feels
healthy and active and requires little sleep. One obtains complete emotional balance and the
ability to communicate externally as well as internally. Voices or sounds coming from other
realms may be heard, and buzzing or humming sounds and the music of a flute may be
experienced.
The sadhaka may become an inspired poet, artist or singer. He may manifest
clairvoyant/clairaudient or psychokinetic ability, or he may be able to conquer people by the
immensity of love he emits. A person who is in anahata is generally very sensitive to the
feelings of others and his sense of touch is strongly developed. He also has the ability to heal
others, either by touch or by generating his own spiritual energy to other people in order to
effect curative changes. Many people who perform miraculous healings do so through the
agency of anahata chakra.
With anahata awakening one develops non-attachment to worldly things and a constant
feeling of optimism, understanding that good and bad coexist, but there is also a world beyond
this duality. After ridding oneself of attachment, the mind becomes relaxed, free and peaceful.
And with the discovery of true freedom, pleasures of dualistic life become meaningless.
Chapter 8
Vishuddhi Chakra
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Vishuddhi chakra is known as the 'purification center'. The Sanskrit word shuddhi means
(to purify), and in this chakra the purifying and harmonizing of all opposites takes place.
Vishuddhi is also known as the 'nectar and poison center'. Here, the nectar which drips down
from bindu is said to be split into the pure form and the poison. The poison is discarded and
the pure nectar then nourishes the body, ensuring excellent health and longevity.
Vishuddhi represents a state of openness in which life is regarded as the provider of
experiences that lead to greater understanding. One ceases to continually avoid the unpleasant
aspects of life and seek the pleasant. Instead there is a flowing with life, allowing things to
happen in the way that they must. Both poison and nectar are consumed in vishuddhi chakra,
and they are understood to be but parts of a greater cosmic whole. Proper understanding and
true discrimination dawn out of this equal acceptance of the dualities and polarities of life.
The more abstract aspect of vishuddhi is the faculty of higher discrimination. Hence any
communication received telepathic ally can be tested here for its correctness and accuracy.
Similarly, vishuddhi allows us to differentiate between realization coming into our
consciousness from the higher levels of knowledge, and the mere babblings of our
unconscious mind and wishful thinking.
Vishuddhi chakra is often treated as an insignificant chakra in the scheme of kundalini
yoga. People are more concerned with mooladhara, anahata and ajna, and therefore the
significance of vishuddhi is easily disregarded. In fact, the reverse attitude may even be more
appropriate.
The location point
Vishuddhi chakra is in the cervical plexus directly behind the throat pit. Its kshetram is in
the front of the neck, at the throat pit or thyroid gland. The physiological concomitants of
vishuddhi are the pharyngeal and laryngeal nerve plexi.
Traditional symbology
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Some tantric texts say vishuddhi chakra is represented by a dark grey colored lotus,
however, it seems to be more commonly perceived as a purple lotus of sixteen petals. These
sixteen petals correspond to the number of nadis associated with this center. On each petal
one of the Sanskrit vowels is inscribed in crimson - am, aam, im, eem, um, ооm, rim, reem,
lrim, lreem, em, aim, om, aum, am, ah. In the pericarp of this lotus is a circle which is white
like the full moon, representing the element of ether or akasha. This ethereal region is the
gateway to liberation for one whose senses are pure and controlled. Within this moon shape is
a snow white elephant, also symbolic of the akasha element. This is considered as the vehicle
of consciousness of this plane, and the aspirant may picture himself upon its back. The bija
mantra is ham, also pure white, which is the seed sound or vibration of the etheric element.
The presiding deity of vishuddhi is Sadashiva, who is snow white, three-eyed and fivefaced, with ten arms and clothed in a tiger's skin. The goddess is Sakini who is purer than the
ocean of nectar that flows down from the moon region. Her raiment is yellow and in her four
hands she holds the bow, the arrow, the noose and the goad.
Vishuddhi belongs to the fifth loka, the plane of janaha. Its vayu is udana which lasts till
the end of life and rises upwards, and along with ajna chakra, vishuddhi forms the basis for
vigyanamaya kosha which initiates psychic development. The tanmatra or sense is hearing
and the gyanendriya or organ of knowledge is the ears. The karmendriya or organ of action is
the vocal chords.
In nada yoga, the branch of kundalini yoga concerned with sound vibration, vishuddhi and
mooladhara are considered to be the two basic centers of vibration. In nada yoga the ascent of
consciousness through the chakras is integrated with the musical scale. Each note of the scale
corresponds to the vibratory level of consciousness of one of the chakras. This scale, often
chanted in the form of mantras, bhajans and kirtans, is a very powerful means of awakening
kundalini in the different chakras.
Mooladhara is the first and vishuddhi is the fifth level of vibration in the scale. They
produce the basic sounds or vowels around which the music of the chakras is constructed.
These vowel sounds, pictured on the sixteen petals of the yantra, are the primal sounds. They
originate from vishuddhi chakra and are directly connected to the brain.
By meditation on vishuddhi chakra, the mind becomes pure like the akasha. One becomes
a great sage, eloquent and wise and enjoys uninterrupted peace of mind. Amrit can be felt as a
cold fluid flowing into the chakra and the aspirant becomes free from disease and sorrow, he
is compassionate, full of bliss and long lived.
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Nectar and poison
In the tantric scriptures it is said that within bindu at the back of the head, the moon is
secreting a vital fluid or essence known as nectar. This transcendental fluid drips down into
the individual consciousness from bindu visarga. Bindu can be regarded in this context as the
center or passage through which the individuality emerges from cosmic consciousness in
sahasrara.
This divine fluid has many different names. In English it can be termed ambrosia - the
nectar of the gods. It is also known as amrit - the nectar of immortality. In the Vedas it is
known as soma and in the tantras it is referred to as madya (divine wine). Many of the great
Sufi poets refer to the sweet wine which brings instant intoxication. The same symbolism is
contained in the Christian rituals where wine is consecrated and sacramentally imbibed. In
fact, every religious system and mystical tradition concerned with awakening man's higher
consciousness has its own symbolism for the unspeakable and indescribable feeling of bliss.
Between bindu and vishuddhi chakras there is another smaller psychic center known as
lalana chakra or talumula, and it is closely related to vishuddhi chakra. When the nectar
trickles down from bindu it is stored in lalana. This center is like a glandular reservoir,
situated in the back of the nasopharynx, the inner cavity above and beyond the soft palate into
which the nasal passages open. When you perform khechari mudra you are attempting to turn
the tongue up and backwards into this cavity to stimulate the flow of nectar.
Although this fluid is known as ambrosia, it actually has a dual nature which can act as
poison as well as nectar. When it is produced in bindu and stored in lalana it remains
undifferentiated, neither poison nor nectar. As long as vishuddhi chakra remains inactive, this
fluid runs downward unimpeded, to be consumed in the fire of manipura, resulting in the
processes of decay, degeneration and finally death in the body's tissues.
However, by certain practices such as khechari mudra, the ambrosia is secreted from
lalana and passes to vishuddhi chakra, the purifying and refining center. When vishuddhi is
awakened the divine fluid is retained and utilized, becoming the nectar of immortality. The
secret of youth and regeneration of the body lies in the awakening of vishuddhi chakra.
There is a wonderful story from the mythology of India which concerns the nectar and
poison of vishuddhi. It is said that in the primordial past, the devas and the rakshasas,
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symbolizing the forces of good and evil, were continually fighting each other. Each was
seeking to dominate and destroy the other. Eventually Vishnu attempted to resolve the
conflict. He suggested they stir up the primordial ocean (representing the world and the
mind), and said they could divide the contents equally between them.
This seemed a fair solution and Vishnu's plan was agreed upon. The ocean was churned
and many things came to the surface for sharing and distribution between the devas and
rakshasas. In all, fourteen things arose, including the nectar of immortality side by side with
the worst poison. Of course both the devas and the rakshasas wanted the nectar, but nobody
wanted anything to do with the poison. Ultimately only the devas got the nectar, because if it
had been given to the vicious rakshasas they would have become immortal. The poison could
not even be discarded, for wherever it was thrown it would cause harm. A great dilemma
arose and eventually Vishnu took the poison to Shiva to ask his advice. Shiva swallowed the
poison in a single gulp. From that time onwards, one of the names of Lord Shiva has been
Nilakantha, the blue-throated one, and he is often depicted in this way.
This story signifies that even poison can be readily digested when vishuddhi chakra is
awakened. It means that at higher levels of awareness, at the level of vishuddhi and above,
even the poisonous and negative aspects of existence become integrated into the total scheme
of being. They are rendered powerless as concepts of good and bad fall away. At this state of
awareness the poisonous aspects and experiences of life are absorbed and transformed into a
state of bliss.
In this chakra it is possible that not only internal poisons but also external poisons can be
neutralized and rendered ineffective. This is one of the siddhis associated with vishuddhi
chakra, and many yogis have possessed this power. It depends on the awakening of the throat
center and bindu visarga in the brain, to which it is directly connected.
The potential of vishuddhi
Vishuddhi is the center responsible for receiving thought vibrations from other people's
minds. This actually occurs through a minor center which is closely connected with
vishuddhi. It acts somewhat like a transistor radio tuning into a radio station, allowing the
yogi to tune into the thoughts and feelings of people both close by and far away. The thought
waves of others are also experienced elsewhere in the body, in other centers such as manipura,
but the actual reception center of thought waves and transmissions is vishuddhi. From
vishuddhi they are relayed to the centers in the brain associated with the other chakrass and in
this way they enter into the individual awareness.
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Associated with vishuddhi is a particular nerve channel known as kurma nadi, the tortoise
nadi. When it is awakened, the practitioner is able to completely overcome the desire and
necessity for food and drink. This capability has been demonstrated by many yogis in the past.
Vishuddhi is actually the legendary 'fountain of youth'. It is said that when kundalini is in
vishuddhi one enjoys eternal youth. When it awakens by the practices of hatha yoga,
kundalini yoga or tantra, then a spontaneous physical rejuvenation begins to take place. There
is a point in life, usually in the second or third decade, when the rate of degeneration of the
cells of the body surpasses the rate of regeneration. It is from that point that decay, old age,
disease and death come to man. In certain disease states such as some forms of leukemia, the
degenerative and destructive forces develop even more rapidly. The rejuvenation effected by
vishuddhi chakra on the tissues, organs and systems of the body is in contradistinction to this
ongoing ageing process, which is man's normal condition.
The powers attained through awakening vishuddhi include imperishability, full knowledge
of the scriptures and also the knowledge of the past, present and future. The sense of hearing
becomes very sharp, but through the mind and not the ears. One frequently experiences
shoonyata, the void, and he overcomes all fear and attachment. He is then able to work freely
in the world without being attached to the fruits of his actions.
Chapter 9
Bindu Visarga
Bindu, the source of creation, is beyond the realm of all conventional experience and
therefore, even in the tantric texts, there is very little written about it. It is the storehouse of all
the karmas of man from his previous life. Not only are these karmas in the form of vasanas,
they are also in the form of memories.
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The word bindu means 'drop or point'. It is more correctly termed bindu visarga, which
literally means 'falling of the drop'. Bindu is represented by the crescent moon and a white
drop, which is the nectar dripping down to vishuddhi chakra. It is the ultimate source out of
which all things manifest and into which all things return.
"......(bindu) is the cause of the creation of word and meaning, now entering and now
separating from one another."
".....from that (bindu) came ether, air, fire, water, earth and the letters of the alphabet."
Kama-Kala-Vilasa (verses 6-9)
Bindu visarga is interconnected with vishuddhi chakra in the same way that the minor
centers of the digestive system are connected with manipura, and those of the uro-genital and
reproductive systems with swadhisthana and mooladhara chakras. Similarly, the minor centers
of the respiratory and circulatory systems are integrated into anahata chakra and so on. In
each case, the connection is mediated by the particular group of nerves associated with that
chakra. Bindu and vishuddhi are connected via the network of nerves which flow through the
interior portion of the nasal orifice, passing through lalana chakra, which is found at the uvula
or palate. Therefore, when awakening takes place in vishuddhi, it simultaneously takes place
in bindu and lalana.
The ten paired cranial nerves which emerge along the brain stem from their associated
centers or nuclei, are considered to actually have their initial origins within this tiny center, so
that the whole visual, nasal, auditory and tasting systems are ultimately manifestations from
bindu.
The location point
The seat of bindu is at the top back of the head, exactly at the spot where the Hindu
brahmins leave a tuft of hair growing. Although this custom is still being followed today, its
original purpose has been completely forgotten. In Sanskrit that tuft of hair is called shikha,
which means 'the flame of fire'. Here, the word 'flame' stands for the flame of vasanas or the
hidden karmas belonging to the previous life.
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During the period of sandhya, when the child underwent the thread ceremony and was
initiated into mantra, they used to hold and tighten this tuft as much as possible and then tie it.
When the tuft was tightened and the child practised mantra, he developed a powerful and
continuing awareness of this bindu point alone. He felt tightness rather than pain at that point.
This is one traditional way to gain contact with bindu visarga.
Tantric physiology
According to tantric tradition, within the higher centers of the upper cortex of the brain
there is a small depression or pit which contains a minute secretion. In the center of that tiny
secretion is a small elevation or point like an island in the middle of a lake. In the
psychophysiological framework, this tiny point is considered to be bindu visarga.
The actual isolation of such a miniscule structure within the anatomy of the brain has
never been reported or verified by medical scientists. However, such a study could prove both
interesting and rewarding, in the same way that modern research into the mysterious pineal
gland has verified that it is the anatomical and functional concomitant of ajna chakra, as
described in the tantra shastras. However, it is easy to imagine that such a delicate and minute
structure as the bindu visarga would undoubtedly be disrupted during post mortem
procedures. Certainly the tiny amount of fluid could hardly be expected to remain localized
for easy extraction and analysis, when it is well known that other more plentiful neural and
glandular transmitters and secretions degenerate and disperse into the tissues at the time of
death. Nevertheless, it is certainly a possibility to be considered.
Traditional symbology
In the tantric scriptures, the symbol of bindu is a crescent moon on a moonlit night. This
symbol is very rich in meaning. The crescent moon indicates that bindu is closely related to
the kalas (phases) of the moon, as are the endocrine, emotional and mental flactuations of
human beings. The immensity of sahasrara is gradually unveiled through ardent yoga practice
in the same way that the full moon is progressively revealed from the time of the new moon to
full moon each month. The crescent moon offers a faint and transient view of a hill in the
dead of night. The background of the night sky also symbolizes the infinity of sahasrara
beyond bindu. However, sahasrara cannot be fully experienced while individuality remains.
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The symbol of Оm also contains the representation of bindu in its uppermost part, which is
a small point above a crescent moon. Actually, all the chakras are symbolized within the body
of the Om symbol, as are the three gunas or qualities of the created world: tamas, rajas and
sattva. These chakras exist in the realm of prakriti and its gunas. Bindu however, is placed
separately from this body in the symbol to indicate that it is transcendental and beyond the
fetters of nature.
Bindu visarga belongs to the seventh or highest loka of satyam, the plane of truth, and it
also belongs to the causal body, or anandamaya kosha. It is said that when bindu visarga
awakens, the cosmic sound of Om is heard and one realizes the source of all creation,
emanating from the bindu point and crescent moon above the symbol of Om.
The seat of nectar
In many of the tantric texts it is written that bindu, the moon, produces a very intoxicating
secretion. Yogis can live on this ambrosial fluid. If its secretion is awakened and controlled in
the body, then one needs nothing more for survival. The maintenance of the body's vitality
becomes independent of food.
There have been many reports of people who have entered into states of hibernation or
suspended animation underneath the earth. This phenomenon has been verified many times
under strict scientific observation. This human hibernation has been witnessed for periods as
long as forty days. Not all cases have been genuine, but when authentic, they have been
carried out exactly in the following manner. Initially pranayama is practised assiduously, until
kumbhaka (retention of the breath) has been perfected. At this stage, khechari mudra is
performed. This is not the simple form of khechari as performed in kundalini yoga sadhana,
but the practice of hatha yoga in which the root or frenulum of the under surface of the tongue
is gradually cut and the tongue is slowly elongated and inserted into the nasopharynx. It
blocks off the passage as a cork seals a bottle. The whole practice is perfected over a two year
period.
By this practice the drops from bindu fall to vishuddhi and subsequently permeate the
whole bodily system. These drops of nectar maintain the nutrition and vitality of the bodily
tissues while simultaneously arresting the metabolic processes of the body. When the
metabolism of the cells and tissues of the body is suspended in this way, oxygen is no longer
required and cellular wastes are not produced. Therefore, the person who hibernates can live
without breathing for quite an extended period of time. Even the facial hair does not grow
during the period of hibernation.
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The poison center
Also, besides producing nectar, bindu is responsible for the production of poison. The
poison glands and the nectar glands are almost simultaneously situated. You may wonder if
by awakening bindu there is any danger in stimulating the poison glands. If bindu and
vishuddhi are stimulated at the same time there is absolutely no danger, because bindu
controls the nectar glands and vishuddhi has a bearing on both nectar and poison. As long as
nectar is flowing, the poison can do no harm. Also, if a yogi has purified his body through
hatha yoga and the practices of dhyana and raja yoga, the poison glands are utilized for the
production of nectar.
The origin of individuality
Bindu is considered to be the origin of creation or the point where oneness first divides
itself to produce the world of multiple individual forms. This aspect of bindu can be traced to
the Sanskrit root bind, which means 'to split or divide'.
Bindu implies a point without dimension, a dimensionless center. In some Sanskrit texts it
is termed chidghana - that which has its roots in the limitless consciousness. Bindu is
considered to be the gateway to shoonya, the state of void. This void should not be
misinterpreted as a state of nothingness. Rather, it is the state of no-thingness - the state of
pure, absolute and undifferentiated consciousness. Bindu is mysterious. It is an ineffable focal
point within which the two opposites, infinity and zero, fullness and nothingness, coexist.
Within bindu is contained the evolutionary potential for all the myriad objects of the
universe. It contains the blueprint for creation. Evolution here refers to the vertical,
transcendental process by which life, objects and organisms arise from the underlying
substratum of existence. The evolution is not at all the same as the scientific concept of
Darwinian evolution. This is but a historical trace of the changes over a period of time in the
form, function or appearance of particular manifestations of individuality, such as the species
of plants or animals. That evolution is a historical record over time, whereas the evolution and
dissolution of consciousness into and out of individuality is in the realm of the timeless.
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There is an individuating principle that generates the myriads of objects in the universe. In
Sanskrit it is called kala, that which causes the potential inherent in the underlying
consciousness to accumulate at bindu. From this point or seed an object, an animal, a human
being or whatever, can arise and manifest. Each and every object has a bindu as its base. This
bindu lies within the hiranyagarbha,, the golden egg or womb of creation. That which was
previously formless assumes shape through the bindu, and its nature is fixed by the bindu as
well. The bindu is both the means of expression of consciousness and also the means of
limitation.
Some of the centers of manifestation from bindu possess consciousness, such as man.
However, most centers are unconscious, such as the elements, stones, and so on. The potential
to be conscious or unconscious depends only on the nature and structure of the individual
object, and this is also determined by the bindu. Man has the apparatus that allows him to be a
conscious center.
Every object, conscious or unconscious, is linked to the underlying essence of
consciousness through the intermediary of the bindu. Every object evolves into material
existence through the medium of the bindu and every object is withdrawn back to the source
via the bindu as well. Bindu is a trapdoor opening in both directions. It is the means through
which conscious centers such as man can realize the totality of sahasrara.
There are essentially only two types of human beings - those who are on the pravritti path
and those who are on the nivritti path. A man following the pravritti (outward) path looks
away from bindu towards the outside world. He is almost entirely motivated by external
events. This is the path of most people today and it leads away from self-knowledge and into
bondage. The other path, the nivritti (reversed) path, is the spiritual path, the path of wisdom.
On this path the individual begins to face the bindu, turning in towards the source of his
being. This path leads to freedom. The path of evolution is the pravritti path of manifestation
and extroversion. The path of involution leads back along the path that has produced your
individual being. It leads back through the bindu to sahasrara. In fact, the whole purpose of
yoga practice is to help direct your awareness along the involutionary path.
The power of the point
There is tremendous power ensheathed within the infinitesimal point. For example, one
theory about the origin of the universe suggests that an infinitely dense point of matter
exploded in a 'big bang' to form the entire cosmos. Similarly, research in subatomic physics
has revealed that vast amounts of power are found concentrated within the multitudinous
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different subatomic particles existing in the space/time continuum. Physics is moving into the
realms of the ineffable bindu.
In molecular biology, the essence of bindu can be found in the DNA and RNA molecules,
each one of which contains the complete genetic blueprint for the entire organism. This is
another illustration of the great intelligence and potential which can be condensed and
expressed in the confines of a tiny point. In fact, the deeper science delves into nature and the
structure of the universe, the greater the power and complexity it uncovers. Within the tiny
dimensions of these points vast potentials of meaning are contained.
The power of the point or bindu has been known to mystics throughout the history of
mankind. In tantra, each bindu, each particle of manifested existence is regarded as a center of
power or shakti. This shakti is an expression of the underlying substratum of static
consciousness. The aim of the tantric system is to bring about a fusion of Shakti - the
individual manifested power, with Shiva - the inert, underlying universal consciousness.
The red and white bindu
The bindu is the cosmic seed from which all things manifest and grow. It is often related to
male sperm because from the tiny bindu of a single spermatozoon, joined with the minute
female ovum, a new life grows. The act of conception is a perfect symbol of the principle of
the bindu. In fact, bindu is explained in these terms in many of the texts of tantric kundalini
yoga. In the Yogachudamani Upanishad it says:
"The bindu is of two types, white and red. The white is shukla (sperm) and the red is
maharaj (menses)."
(verse 60)
Here the white bindu symbolizes Shiva, purusha or consciousness, and the red bindu
symbolizes Shakti, prakriti or the power of manifestation. The white bindu lies in the bindu
visarga and the red bindu is seated in mooladhara chakra. The purpose of tantra and yoga is to
unite these two principles so that Shiva and Shakti become one. The text continues:
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"The red bindu is established in the sun; the white bindu in the moon. Their union is
difficult."
(verse 61)
The sun represents pingala nadi and the moon represents ida. The two bindus symbolize
the merging of the world of opposites, in terms of male and female. Out of their union results
the ascent of kundalini.
"When the red bindu (Shakti) moves upwards (the ascent of kundalini) by control of prana,
it mixes with the white bindu (Shiva) and one becomes divine."
(verse 63)
All the systems of yoga control the prana in one way or another to bring about this union.
In some cases it is through direct control, as in pranayama, while in other cases it is less
direct. Nevertheless, the meeting of these two polarities, Shiva and Shakti, leads to
superconsciousness.
"He who realizes the essential oneness of the two bindus, when the red bindu merges with
the white bindu, alone knows yoga."
(verse 64)
Chapter 10
Sahasrara and Samadhi
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Sahasrara is not a chakra as is often thought. Chakras are within the realm of the psyche.
Consciousness manifests at different levels according to the chakra that is predominantly
active. Sahasrara acts through nothing and yet again, it acts through everything. Sahasrara is
beyond the beyond (paratparam) and yet it is right here. Sahasrara is the culmination of the
progressive ascension through the different chakras. It is the crown of expanded awareness.
The power of the chakras does not reside in the chakras themselves, but in sahasrara. The
chakras are only switches. All the potential lies in sahasrara.
The literal meaning of the word sahasrara is 'one thousand'. For this reason it is said to be
a lotus with one thousand petals. However, while literally meaning one thousand, the word
sahasrara implies that its magnitude and significance is vast - in fact, unlimited. Therefore,
sahasrara should more aptly be described as a lotus with an infinite number of petals, usually
said to be red or multicolored.
Sahasrara is both formless (nirakara) and with form (akara), yet it is also beyond, and
therefore untouched by form (nirvikara). It is shoonya, or in actual fact, the void of totality. It
is Brahman. It is everything and nothing. Whatever we say about sahasrara immediately limits
and categorizes it, even if we say it is infinite. It transcends logic, for logic compares one
thing with another. Sahasrara is the totality, so what is there to compare it with? It transcends
all concepts and yet it is the source of all concepts. It is the merging of consciousness and
prana. Sahasrara is the culmination of yoga, the perfect merging.
Total union and the unfolding of enlightenment
When kundalini shakti reaches sahasrara, that is known as union between Shiva and
Shakti, as sahasrara is said to be the abode of higher consciousness or Shiva. Union between
Shiva and Shakti marks the beginning of a great experience. When this union takes place, the
moment of self-realization or samadhi begins. At this point the individual man dies. I don't
mean that physical death occurs; it is death of the mundane awareness or individual
awareness. It is death of the experience of name and form. At this time you don't remember
the 'I', the 'you' or the 'they'. The experience, the experienced and the experiencer are one and
the same. The seer, seeing and and seen are merged as a unified whole. In other words, there
is no multiple or dual awareness. There is only single awareness.
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When Shiva and Shakti unite, nothing remains, there is absolute silence. Shakti does not
remain Shakti and Shiva is no more Shiva, both are mingled into one and they can no longer
be identified as two different forces.
Every mystical and religious system of the world has its own way of describing this
experience. Some have called it nirvana, others - samadhi, kaivalya, self-realization,
enlightenment, communion, heaven and so on. And if you read the religious and mystical
poems and scriptures of the many cultures and traditions, you will find ample descriptions of
sahasrara. However, you have to read them with a different state ofconsciousness to
understand the esoteric symbology and terminology.
Raja yoga, kundalini and samadhi
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali you will not come across the word kundalini, as this text
does not directly deal with kundalini yoga. However, not every saint, rishi or teacher has
referred to kundalini by this name. Kundalini is the subject matter of tantra. When Patanjali
wrote the Yoga Sutras 2600 years ago, it was during the period of Buddha and about four
centuries before the great era of philosophers. At that time, tantra had a very bad reputation in
India because the gifts of kundalini, the siddhis, were being misused for petty purposes and
people were being exploited. Therefore, tantra and tantric terminology had to be suppressed,
and in order to keep the knowledge alive, an entirely different language had to be adopted.
In the raja yoga of Patanjali, emphasis is placed on the development of a state called
samadhi. Samadhi actually means supermental awareness. First comes sensual awareness,
then mental awareness, and above that is supermental awareness, the awareness of your own
self. The awareness of forms, sounds, touch, taste, smell, is the awareness of the senses. The
awareness of time, space and object is mental awareness. Supermental awareness is not a
point; it is a process, a range of experience. Just as the term 'childhood' refers to a wide span
of time, in the same way, samadhi is not a particular point of experience but a sequence of
experiences which graduate from one stage to another.
Therefore, Patanjali classifies samadhi into three main categories. The first is known as
savikalpa samadhi, that is, samadhi with fluctuation, and it has four stages - vitarka, vichara,
ananda and asmita. The second category, asampragyata, is samadhi without awareness, and
the third category, nirvikalpa, is samadhi without any fluctuation.
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These names only indicate the particular state your mind is in during the samadhi
experience. After all, the erosion in mental awareness does not take place suddenly; the
normal mental awareness does not come to an abrupt end. There is development of one type
of awareness and erosion of another. The normal consciousness fades and the higher
awareness develops, and therefore, there is a parallel interaction between the two states.
Where does meditation end and where does samadhi begin? You can't pinpoint it because
there is an interspersion. Where does youth end and old age begin? The same answer applies.
And the same thing happens in samadhi as well. Where does savikalpa samadhi end and
asampragyata begin? The whole process occurs in continuity, each stage fusing into the next
and transforming in a very graduated way. This seems logical when you consider that it is the
same consciousness which is undergoing the experience.
In tantra it is said that when kundalini is ascending through the various chakras, the
experiences one has may not be transcendental or divine in themselves, but they are indicative
of the evolving nature of consciousness. This is the territory of savikalpa samadhi, sometimes
illumined and sometimes dark and treacherous.
From mooladhara up to ajna chakra, the awareness is experiencing higher things, but it is
not free from ego. You cannot transcend ego at the lower points of awakening. It is only when
kundalini reaches ajna chakra that the transcendence begins. This is where the ego is exploded
into a million fragments and the ensuing death experience occurs. At this point savikalpa ends
and nirvikalpa begins. From here, the energies fuse and flow together up to sahasrara, where
enlightenment unfolds.
In tantra, sahasrara is the highest point of awareness, and in Patanjali's raja yoga, the
highest point of awareness is nirvikalpa samadhi. Now, if you compare the descriptions of
sahasrara and nirvikalpa samadhi, you will find that they are the same. And if you compare
the experiences of samadhi described in raja yoga with the descriptions of kundalini
awakening, you will find that they are also the same. It should also be noted that both systems
talk about the same types of practices.
Raja yoga is more intellectual in its method of expression and is more in tune with
philosophy, and tantra is more emotional in approach and expression. That is the only
difference. As far as I can understand, kundalini awakening and samadhi are the same thing.
And if you understand the teachings of Buddha and the other great saints and teachers, you
will find that they have also spoken about the same thing but in different languages.
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Section 3 - KUNDALINI YOGA PRACTICE
Preliminary techniques for individual chakras and kshetram and the advanced techniques
of kriya yoga
Introduction
The aspirant who earnestly wishes to follow the path of kundalini
yoga has to approach the path of kundalini yoga with a different attitude.
His whole life must become a sadhana and he must be totally devoted to
his practices and his goal. He will need to live a life of moderation and
higher awareness in the midst of his daily responsibilities. He or she has
to be a warrior in life and must seek the guidance of a competent guru
who can point the way for the spiritual quest ahead. The kundalini yogi
has to be ardent and faithful to his practice and his guru's instructions. He
will need to devote more time each morning to perfect the practices given
in this book.
Whatever your personal aim in life, and whatever your commitments
and responsibilities, kundalini yoga can definitely help you to become
more efficient, more peaceful and more aware. Seek the instructions of a
sannyasin or a qualified yoga teacher, learn the techniques in this book,
and practise them systematically according to the amount of time you are
able to spare each day. In this way, your life will be transformed into the
most exciting adventure ever - the journey to inner experience and unitive
life.
Chapter 1
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Rules and Preparation
The following rules and regulations apply to both the specific chakra practices and to the
kriya yoga techniques. They should be followed as closely as possible.
Diet
Most people who are ready for kundalini yoga will be leading a well regulated life and
taking a balanced vegetarian diet. If you are still keeping late hours, drinking alcohol and
eating large quantities of meat, we strongly suggest that you slowly reduce these and do some
of the hatha yoga shatkarmas, such as shankhaprakshalana. In fact, we request you not to
start the practices given in this book until you have become pure vegetarian.
Eat vegetarian food that is fresh, clean and easily digestible, and eat in moderation.
Kundalini yoga is a system which purifies the whole body; if there are excessive toxins in
your body then there may be a drastic purging process. The consumption of too much food
will also make it difficult to do most of the techniques properly, especially pranayama and
those which involve uddiyana bandha. You should use your discrimination in choosing the
food that you eat. Remember, all kundalini yoga courses given in our ashrams are
accompanied by compulsory food restrictions, therefore, you should adopt similar restrictions.
But please do not starve yourself or become a food faddist; only try to adopt sensible eating
habits.
Illness
If you suffer from any physical illness, we advise you not to start the kundalini techniques
given in this book. First of all you should take steps to cure your illness by any suitable
means, possibly hatha yoga. If necessary, write to this ashram, to any of our branch ashrams,
or contact any competent yoga teacher for guidance.
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If you suffer from any serious mental or emotional problems you should not, at present,
start the practices of kundalini yoga. Practise other types of yoga to bring harmony into your
life and mind, then start kundalini yoga. The kundalini techniques are very powerful, and if
you do not have some degree of mental stability, they may worsen your condition. If in doubt,
contact us.
Sound health is the basic requirement for kundalini yoga practice.
Yogic preparation
Before commencing the kundalini techniques given in this book, you should have
practised other systems of yoga, especially hatha and raja yoga, for at least a few years. In
particular, you should be proficient in the following techniques: pawanmuktasana (antirheumatic and anti-gastric), shakti bandha asanas, surya namaskara, major asanas such as
sarvangasana, dhanurasana, shalabhasana, bhujangasana, matsyasana, paschimottanasana
and ardha matsjendrasana, as well as the shatkarmas and the basic practices of pranayama,
such as nadi shodhana.
All of these techniques are fully described in the Bihar School of Yoga publication Asana
Pranayama Mudra Bandha. However, to master these techniques you will need to have the
regular guidance of a qualified yoga teacher.
Time
The best time of day to do your sadhana (practice) is early in the morning, within the two
hours before dawn. This is known as brahmamuhurta in Sanskrit, 'the time divine'. At this
time spiritual energy is high and there are likely to be fewer disturbances, both external and
internal, than at any other period of the day. However, if you are unable to practise during
brahmamuhurta, choose some other time when the stomach is not loaded.
Place of practice
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Try to practise in the same place every day. This will gradually build up a positive
atmosphere which will be helpful for your sadhana.
Your place of practice should be clean, peaceful and well ventilated. It should be dry and
neither too hot nor too cold. Do not practise on the bare floor; place a blanket or mat beneath
you. If necessary, wrap a blanket or sheet around you. Try to avoid the use of fans, unless
absolutely necessary.
Clothing
Clothing will depend on the prevailing climate, but it should be as light, loose and
comfortable as possible.
Regularity
Try to practise daily at a fixed time, without fail, following the step-by-step program that
we have given in this book.
On certain days, the mind may give justification for not practising, or it may be upset,
disturbed or restless. Providing there is no illness, you should endeavor to do your practice as
normal.
Preliminary practices
Before starting the kundalini yoga practices, try to empty the bowels and take a cold
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shower. If you live in a cold climate, then at least wash the face with cold water. This is
essential in order to remove sleepiness.
It is a good idea to do a few asanas before commencing the kundalini practices. If time
does not permit, then at least do 5 to 10 rounds of surya namaskara, starting slowly and then
accelerating the pace. This should be followed by a short rest period in shavasana until the
breathing rate returns to normal.
Awareness
If the mind flits here and there like a wild monkey, do not worry. Let thoughts and
emotions arise without suppression. Watch them with the attitude of a witness and continue
your practice. Gradually the mind will become one-pointed. Whatever happens, your practice
should continue. This attitude of witnessing the mind without interfering, can be defined as
awareness.
Chapter 2
Posture
Most of the practices for specific chakras and the kundalini kriyas are done in a sitting
position, or meditative asana. The best sitting asana is siddhasana (for males) and siddha yoni
asana (for females). Not only do these two asanas apply direct pressure on mooladhara
chakra, but this pressure, when applied correctly, brings about an awakening and redirection
of nervous energy and blood circulation upwards from the pelvic and abdominal regions to
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the brain. This extra energy is important in kundalini sadhana, since it keeps the voltage of
prana shakti at a high level. The perineal pressure awakens the source of energy and actively
distributes prana upwards to the higher centers.
Padmasana is also utilized for certain kundalini techniques such as tadan kriya. Though
siddhasana is generally preferred in most of the other techniques, padmasana can also be used
as an alternative. The disadvantage is that padmasana does not apply a direct pressure on
mooladhara chakra.
Those who cannot sit comfortably in siddhasana can do utthanpadasana instead, though it
is difficult to maintain for an extended period of time. In the kriya yoga practices of maha
mudra and maha bheda mudra, utthan padasana can be done instead of siddhasana, and is by
tradition accepted as its equal.
Another asana, bhadrasana, also applies a good pressure on mooladhara chakra and can be
substituted for siddhasana in many of the practices. It is also the required sitting position for
manduki mudra, one of the techniques of kriya yoga.
In the descriptions of the kundalini practices, we have stated the best asana for each
practice. Only use one of the alternative asanas if the recommended asana is not suitable.
Practice 1: Siddhasana
The accomplished pose (for men)
Sit with the legs extended in front of the body. Fold the right leg and place the sole of the
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foot flat against the left thigh with the heel pressing the perineum, the area of mooladhara
chakra, between the genitals and the anus.
Fold the left leg and place the foot on top of the right calf.
The heel should press against the pelvic bone directly above the genitals.
Push the toes and the outer edge of this foot into the space between the right calf and thigh
muscles. It may be necessary to move and replace the right kg for this. Grasp the right toes,
either from above or below the left calf and move them upward into the space between the left
thigh and calf.
The legs should now be locked with the knees on the ground and the left heel directly
above the right heel. Make the spine steady, straight and erect, as though it were planted in the
ground.
Note: Siddhasana can be practised with either leg upward. It should not be practised by
persons with sciatica or sacral infections.
Other classical asanas such as ardha padrnasana and sukhasana can also be used, but not
as effectively. Therefore, dedicate yourself initially to the perfection of siddhasana. In the
beginning it is recommended that a folded blanket or small cushion be used to raise the
buttocks slightly. This will enable you to rest the knees on the ground and to achieve a
balanced posture. However, the blanket or cushion should not be too thick. One or two inches
in height should be enough. There must be a sustained but comfortable awareness of pressure
on the perineal trigger point.
Practice 2: Siddha yoni asana
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The accomplished pose (for women)
Instead of siddhasana, ladies should do siddha yoni asana.
The position is exactly the same as siddhasana, except that after folding the right leg and
placing the sole of its foot against the left thigh, the lower heel is placed just inside the
entrance to the vagina. The left heel presses against the clitoris.
Everything else is as described for siddhasana.
Practice 3: Padmasana
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The lotus pose
Sit with the legs extended in front of the body.
Fold the leg and place its foot on top of the opposite thigh.
The sole of the foot must be upward, with the heel facing or touching the pelvis.
Fold the other leg and place its foot on top of the other thigh.
The spine should be straight, the neck, head and shoulders should be relaxed and the body
should be steady.
Practice 4 : Utthan padasana
The raised heel pose
Sit on the floor with both legs extended in front of the body.
Fold the right leg under the body so that you arc sitting on the right foot.
The right heel should press the perineum (or the entrance to the vagina).
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The left foot remains outstretched.
This asana may also be performed with the left leg folded into the perineum and the right
leg outstretched.
Practice 5: Bhadrasana
The gentleman's pose
Sit in vajrasana.
Separate the knees as far as possible and bring the big toes together so they are touching
each other.
Allow the buttocks to rest on the ground (if necessary a blanket can be placed under the
buttocks) so that mooladhara chakra is firmly pressed.
Place the hands on the knees, palms down, and make the back straight.
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Note
If the hips, knees and ankles are not flexible enough to assume and maintain siddhasana,
padmasana, bhadrasana, etc., we suggest that you practise the pawanmuktasana series of
exercises daily, especially crow walking, ankle exercises, knee rotation, half and full butterfly.
Utthanasana should also be practised. To improve the overall health of the body, other asanas
can also be done, including surya namaskara.
Practices of pranayama, such as nadi shodhana, should also be performed to develop
control over inhalation, exhalation, and inner and outer retention, so necessary for perfecting
many of the kundalini techniques.
These practices can be done daily, side-by-side with the monthly practices that are given
for the specific chakras.
Chapter 3
Chakra Sadhana Course
Month by month we have given specific practices for the awakening of each chakra, one
after the other. These practices must be adopted systematically. For the first month you should
only perform the techniques for ajna chakra. Then in the second month, add those for
mooladhara. In the third month add those for swadhisthana. In the fourth month do those
practices for manipura and selected practices for ajna, mooladhara and swadhisthana chakras.
(By this stage, due to the number of practices, it will be necessary to omit some.) In this way,
you should continue, adding the practices for each chakra, until you reach bindu visarga
during the seventh month.
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The first month is concerned with awakening ajna chakra and not the lowest one,
mooladhara, which is treated in the second month. It may seem more logical and consistent to
start with mooladhara practices, but it is a rule of kundalini yoga that first there should be
awakening of ajna chakra before the other chakras. Unless this is achieved, then the
awakening of the lower chakras may rock the stability of the practitioner; he may experience
physical, mental and emotional shocks which he cannot bear. The awakening of ajna chakra
brings a great degree of detachment, which allows one to withstand the lower chakra
awakenings without excessive shock. One is able to observe chakra experiences with the
attitude of a witness. This is most essential in kundalini yoga.
In the eighth month we have given some practices which influence the chakras as a whole.
These should also be done for one month.
Please note that some practices influence more than one chakra, but we have only given
each practice once as sadhana for the chakra it is most likely to affect. Also, it should be noted
that nothing can be gained by randomly selecting one chakra sadhana program and just
practising it for a day or two and then commencing another program. As each practice is a
stepping-stone for another practice, the techniques should be performed systematically.
In each chapter, practices are given to locate the position of the chakra, and its
counterpart, the kshetram (which is located in the front of the body). It is important that you
can locate these points exactly.
All the practices given for the specific chakras are the building blocks from which the
techniques of kriya yoga are constructed. As such, you should perfect them before proceeding
to the kriyas. Ultimately, you will only need to practise the kriyas, but prior to this you must
be prepared to devote at least one hour a day to the chakra practices for the next eight months.
Kriya yoga
In the final chapter we have given a full description of the twenty kundalini kriyas which
are widely known as kriya yoga. At this stage, you can leave all the specific practices given in
the previous chapters for awakening the chakras individually, or if you wish you can select a
few to continue with.
The kundalini kriyas can be learned and practised one after the other, at the rate of one per
week. That is, in the first week, perfect vipareeta karani mudra; in the second week add
chakra anusandhana; then add nada sanchalana in the third week, and so on. At the end of
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twenty weeks you should be doing the entire series of twenty kriyas daily, with the traditional
number of rounds for each kriya, or with a reduced number of rounds as indicated.
Chapter 4
Practices for Ajna Chakra
Month 1
Direct concentration on ajna chakra is very difficult, and for this reason, in tantra and
yoga the mid-eyebrow center (which in fact is the kshetram of ajna), is used to awaken this
chakra. This point is called bhrumadhya ('bhru' means eyebrow and 'madhya' means center),
and it lies between the two eyebrows in the place where Indian ladies put a red dot and
pandits and brahmins put a mark of sandal paste. This eyebrow center can be contacted by
various techniques.
Firstly, there is an important shatkriya (cleansing technique) called trataka, which will aid
in the awakening of ajna. It is a powerful technique which can be denned as 'fixed gazing at
one point'. If practised regularly, it develops the power of concentration, and from this
concentration, the direct awakening of the latent faculties of ajna chakra is brought about.
Ajna can also be contacted by concentrating on the nadis directly. The method for this is
anuloma viloma pranayama, which is known in English as 'the coming and going pranayama'.
You can also awaken ajna chakra by concentrating on the eyebrow center, by such
practices as shambhavi mudra. Initially, when there is no sensation or awareness at this point,
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some ointment or oil such as tiger balm can be applied. This facilitates concentration. With
practice, the pressure of concentration at this area increases and the sensations are carried
back to the pineal gland. This brings about an awakening there in the form of visions and
internal experiences.
Ajna and mooladhara chakras are closely related, and the awakening of one helps to
awaken the other. Ideally, ajna should be awakened to some extent before mooladhara, in
order to allow an unaffected perception of the energies manifested by mooladhara and the
lower chakras. However, the awakening of mooladhara will help to further awaken ajna. In
fact, the best way to bring about awakening of ajna is through the practices of moola bandha
and ashwini mudra which are specific for mooladhara.
Preparatory practices
Jala and sutra neti can be practised for a few months to purify the nasal area. This will
help to sensitize ajna chakra and aid in its awakening. Apart from having a profound effect on
the nervous system, neti removes dirt and mucus from the nasal passages, relieving colds and
sinusitis, disorders of the eyes, ears, nose and throat, as well as inflammation of the tonsils,
adenoids and mucus membranes. It removes drowsiness and gives a genera] lightness and
freshness in the head and throughout the body. At the same time, it profoundly alters psychic
awareness, facilitating free flow of breath in both nostrils, so that the meditative state can be
attained. It should be practised every morning before you commence your other sadhana. For
complete details refer to the Bihar School of Yoga publication Asana Pranayama Mudra
Bandha.\
Practice 1: Anuloma viloma pranayama (the coming and going breath)
Sit in a comfortable meditative posture.
Make sure the spine is erect and the body is relaxed.
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The body must become absolutely still.
After some minutes, begin to develop awareness of the breath in the nostrils.
When you breathe in, your whole awareness should flow with the breath from the tip of
the nose, through the nasal passages, up to the eyebrow center.
And when you breathe out, your whole awareness should flow with the breath from the
eyebrow center to the tip of the nose.
Become aware of the triangular form of the breath between the nostrils and the eyebrow
center. The base of the triangle is at the level of the upper lip, its sides are the right and left
nasal passages, and its apex is within the eyebrow center.
Firstly, feel the breath moving in and out of the left nostril, then the right nostril. Then be
aware of the breath as it flows in and out through both nostrils together.
Once you are established in this breath awareness, begin to consciously alternate the flow
of the breath between the two nostrils in the same way as nadi shodhana, except you practise
it psychically. Consciously inhale through the left nostril to bhru-madhya and exhale through
the right, then inhale through the right txTbhrumadhya, and exhale through the left. This is
one round-After completing four such rounds, inhale and exhale through both nostrils
simultaneously, visualizing the passage of the breath forming an inverted V-shape. In this way
you have to continue - four alternate nostril breaths, then one breath through both nostrils.
Count the rounds from 100 back to zero.
100 - inhale left nostril, exhale right nostril;
inhale right nostril, exhale left nostril,
99 - repeat, 98- repeat, 97- repeat,
96- inhale both nostrils, exhale both nostrils, and so on.
Note: Accuracy in the counting is absolutely necessary, and if an error is made, the
practice must recommence from 100. It is very important to keep count of the breaths,
because without keeping count, aiiuloma viloma is altogether too powerful for many
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aspirants, swallowing up their awareness in the unconscious sphere- The aim of the practice is
to stimulate ajna chakra on the subconscious, psychic level, and for this, awareness must be
maintained.
If you sink into the unconscious sphere, you will only be aware of the vast store of
impressions in the unconscious mind, and will completely lose awareness of the practice. This
awareness is essential for the development of mind control and the awakening of ajna chakra
to conscious accessibility.
This practice can also be very well integrated into yoga nidra. (See practice chapter 2)
Practice 2: Trataka
Fixed gazing on one point
Sit in a comfortable meditative asana, in a dark room in which there is no draught or
breeze.
Place a lighted candle at eye level, directly in front of the eyebrow center, at a distance of
approximately two feet.
Make sure that the wick is perfectly straight and that the flame is motionless.
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Straighten the spine, close the eyes and relax the body.
Be aware of the physical body only. Let it become as still as a statue. From this time on
you should try to keep the body absolutely motionless throughout the whole practice.
When you are prepared, open your eyes and gaze intently at the brightest part of the flame
- just above the tip of the wick.
With practice you should be able to gaze at the flame for a few minutes, without blinking
or moving the eyeballs.
Continue to gaze at the flame with total concentration. The whole of your consciousness
must become centered in the flame, to the extent that awareness of the rest of the body and the
room is lost.
The gaze should be absolutely fixed on one point.
When the eyes become tired (perhaps after a few minutes), or if they begin to water, close
them and relax.
Do not move the body, but be aware of the after-image of the flame in front of the closed
eyes.
Everyone has looked into the sun or a bright light, and on closing the eyes for a few
minutes, has seen the clear impression of that light on the retina of the eye. Likewise, the
after-image of the candle flame will be clearly visible.
You should practise trataka on this image, holding it directly in front or a little above the
eyebrow center-As soon as it begins to fade, open the eyes again and continue to concentrate
on the external candle flame.
Note: The best times to practise trataka are the dark hours of the very early morning or late
at night. At these times, the atmosphere becomes very still and quiet - not only the physical
atmosphere, but the mental and psychic atmospheres also. In this stillness, success in trataka
is readily attained.
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Other forms of trataka
Trataka can be practised on a small dot, the full moon, a shadow, a crystal ball, the
nosetip, an image in water, a yantra, darkness, a shivalingam and many other things.
Those who have a personal deity can practise trataka on his or her form and those who
have a guru can practise on his or her photograph. Trataka can also be practised on the rising
sun, one's own image in the mirror, or the eyes of another person. These should, however, be
done under the guidance of a guru, as there are certain risks involved.
There are two divisions of trataka, bahiranga (outer) and antaranga (inner). The methods
mentioned so far are all part of bahiranga trataka. Inner trataka (antaranga) is internal
visualization, perhaps of a chakra, a yantra or your personal deity. The eyes remain closed
throughout. One of the best inner objects for concentration is a tiny star or point of light.
Duration: Trataka can be practised as time permits, but 15 to 20 minutes is the usual
period in the beginning.
Benefits: Trataka has many physical, mental and spiritual benefits. Physically, it corrects
eye weaknesses and certain defects such as nearsightedness. Mentally, it increases nervous
stability, removes insomnia and relaxes the anxious mind. When the eyes are fixed and
unmoving, the mind becomes the same. The thinking process automatically ceases as
concentration increases. It brings control to the tempestuous rnind, and spiritually it awakens
ajna chakra.
Practice 3: Shambhavi mudra with Om chanting
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Eyebrow center gazing
Stage 1
Sit in any meditative pose with the back straight and hands on the knees.
Look forward at a fixed point, then look upward as high as possible without moving the
head.
Focus the eyes and concentrate on the eyebrow center.
Try to suspend the thought processes and meditate on ajna chakra.
Repeat Om, Om, Om, with awareness of the sound vibrations at the eyebrow center into
which you are gazing. Each Оm should be produced in a soft clear voice, with awareness of
every vibration of the mantra in the eyebrow center. Each mantra should be one or two
seconds in duration, and immediately followed by the next.
Practise for 3 to 5 minutes.
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Stage 2
Now the eyes are closed, but the inner gaze remains in the eyebrow center.
Begin to chant the mantra more slowly, with full awareness of the sound vibration in the
eyebrow center. Imagine that the sound is being emitted from within the eyebrow center itself.
Gradually and effortlessly increase the duration of each Om, making it long and
continuous.
The sound should be steady and of an even key, ending on completion of the breath.
Then refill the lungs completely by breathing through the nose, but do not alter the
position of the body or head.
Begin the next Om, maintaining awareness of the sound emerging from the eyebrow
center.
Practise for 5 minutes.
Stage 3
Continue to chant the mantra Оm, but become aware of the sound reverberating
throughout the body.
Try to be aware of the sound only, listening to its vibration emerging from the eyebrow
center and permeating the whole body.
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Do not be self-conscious, but allow the sound to manifest itself fully, maintaining
awareness of the vibration of the sound only.
Practise for 5 minutes.
Gradually the duration of the practice can be lengthened.
Caution: Do not strain the eye muscles; when they become tired or slightly strained,
release shambhavi mudra.
Practise
This sadhana (consisting of practices 1, 2 and 3), for ajna chakra, should be continued
daily for one month. Then proceed to the sadhana for awakening mooladhara chakra.
Chapter 5
Practices for Mooladhara Chakra
Month 2
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The process of awakening mooladhara chakra is not very difficult. It can be achieved by
thousands of different methods, but the easiest of all is the concentration on the tip of the
nose. This is because the part of the sensory cortex which represents mooladhara chakra is
connected with the nose. At the same time, mooladhara chakra belongs to the earth element,
which is directly related to the sense of smell. Therefore, we shall include nasikagra drishti the practice of nosetip gazing, in this section, as well as moola bandha, which directly
stimulates mooladhara chakra. Remember that mooladhara chakra does not have a kshetram.
Difference between moola bandha, vajroli and ashwini mudras
Often there is confusion between the three practices of moola bandha (used for awakening
mooladhara chakra) and vajroli mudra and ashwini mudra (both used for awakening
swadhisthana chakra). The following diagrams for male and female locations will help to
clarify the difference in the points of contraction.
For women:
Key to location of contraction points:
1. Vajroli or sahajoli mudra (clitoris, lower vaginal muscles and urethra)
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2. Moola bandha (cervix)
3. Ashwini mudra (anal muscled/sphincters).
For men:
Key to exact location of contraction points:
1. Vajroli mudra (penis)
2. Moola bandha (between anus and scrotum; perineal body)
3. Ashwini mudra (anal muscles/sphincters).
Practice 1. Chakra location
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For men :
Sit in siddhasana or any asana in which the heel is pressed into the perineum.
Close your eyes, relax completely and become aware of your whole physical body.
Move your awareness to the point of contact between the heel and perineum, midway
between the testes and the anus.
Become intensely aware of the distinct pressure exerted on the perineal body.
Center yourself at the pressure point.
Now become aware of your breath.
Feel or imagine that you are breathing in and out of this pressure point.
Feel the breath moving through the perineal body, becoming finer and finer, so that it
pierces the point where mooladhara chakra is located.
You will feel it as a psychophysical contraction.
Say mentally, "mooladhara, mooladhara, mooladhara".
Maintain awareness of the perineal body and the breath for up to 5 minutes.
For women:
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Sit in siddha yoni asana or a suitable alternative.
Relax your body completely and close your eyes.
Move your awareness to the lower part of the body and focus your attention on the contact
point between your heel and the opening of the vagina.
Become intensely aware of the slight but distinct pressure at this point.
Center yourself at the pressure point.
Now become aware of your natural breath.
Feel or imagine that you are breathing in and out of the pressure point.
Continue this for 10 deep breaths.
Now bring your awareness inside the body.
From the point of external pressure, move your awareness in towards the base of the spine.
Follow the natural formation of the vagina, moving up at a slight angle and back towards
the spine until you come to the opening of the womb.
You are at the opening of the womb, about 2 or 3 centimeters inside the body, just below
the base of the spine.
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Focus your awareness at this point and begin to breathe in and out from the cervix to the
point of outer pressure.
Breathe in and bring your awareness to the opening of the womb.
Breathe out and move again to the outer pressure point.
Somewhere in this area you will find your point for mooladhara chakra.
Feel it clearly and distinctly and mentally repeat,'mooladhara, mooladhara, mooladhara'.
Maintain unbroken awareness of this point for up to 5 minutes.
Alternative practice: Locating mooladhara chakra by touch
Men should sit in a comfortable position and press one ringer onto the perineum, midway
between the anus and scrotum, then contract the muscles there. The contraction will be felt.
When they can contract those muscles without movement of the anus or penis, the perineal
body has been successfully isolated.
Women should assume a comfortable sitting or lying position and gently insert one finger
into the vagina as far as it will go. Then tighten the muscles so that the walls of the upper
vagina contract and squeeze the finger. If they can do this without contracting the anus or the
front part of the perineum (clitoris and urinary opening), then location of mooladhara is
correct.
Practice 2: Moola bandba (the permeal lock)
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Stage I:
Sit in siddhasana or any other posture which applies a firm pressure in the region of
mooladhara chakra.
Close the eyes and relax the whole body.
Inhale deeply.
Hold the breath and contract the muscles at the mooladhara chakra region.
Draw the muscles upwards as much as you are able without excessive strain.
Try to contract only the mooladhara chakra trigger point, so that the urinary musculature
in front and the anal sphincters behind, remain relaxed.
Keep your attention fixed on the exact point of contraction.
Hold this contraction for as long as possible.
Then release moola bandha and breathe normally.
Practise for a few minutes daily.
Jalandhara bandha (described in chapter 9 of this section), can also be added to the
practice. With breath retention, perform jalandhara bandha, then moola bandha. Before
exhaling, release moola bandha, then jalandhara bandha.
Stage 2:
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Contract and release moola bandha rhythmically.
About one contraction per second is reasonable, or if you wish, you can synchronize the
contraction with the heart beat.
Again, ensure that the contraction is focused at the exact trigger point and at the anus.
Direct all your attention to the point of contraction.
Practise for a few minutes daily.
Stage 3:
Leave all physical contraction.
Try to feel the pulse beat at the trigger point, or try to contract the point mentally.
Direct all your attention to the mooladhara chakra area.
The practice is the same as stage 2, but without physical contraction.
Continue for as long as you have time to spare.
With practice, you will be able to locate the trigger point of mooladhara chakra exactly,
merely through thought.
Practice 3: Nasikagra drishti
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This practice is also called agochari mudra (the gesture of invisibility).
Nosetip gazing
Sit in any meditative pose with the spine erect and the head facing forward.
Close your eyes and relax your whole body for some time.
Then open your eyes and focus them on the nosetip.
Do not strain your eyes, but try to fix your gaze on the tip of the nose.
Respiration should be normal.
When the attention of both eyes is focused on the nosetip, you will see that the double
outlines of the nose merge to become a single solid outline.
You should direct your gaze to the V-shaped point where the two outlines cross each other
at the very tip of the nose.
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If you do not see a solid V-shaped outline, then both eyes are not fixed on the nosetip.
It is then necessary to focus the eyes on your finger, ю inches in front of your face, and
hold the fingertip in focus as you slowly bring it to the nosetip.
Eventually, you can discard this method and easily focus the eyes on the nosetip at will.
At first you may find it difficult to hold your attention on the nosetip for more than a few
seconds.
When you feel discomfort, release the position of the eyes for a few seconds and then
repeat the practice.
Over a period of weeks, as the eyes become accustomed, gradually increase the duration of
practice.
Never strain the eyes.
Once you can comfortably maintain a steady gaze for a minute or more, become aware of
your breath as well as the nosetip.
Feel the breath moving in and out through the nose.
At the same time, become aware of the subtle sound the breath makes as it moves through
the nasal passages.
Try to become completely absorbed in the practice, to the exclusion of all other thoughts
and external distractions.
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Be aware of the nosetip, the movement of the breath and the accompanying sound.
Carry on in this manner for up to 5 minutes.
Practise
This sadhana (practices 1, 2 and 3), for mooladhara chakra, should be done for a period of
one month. You should also continue the practices for awakening ajna chakra.
Chapter 6
Practices for Swadhisthana Chakra
Month 3
The sadhana for awakening swadhisthana chakra is solely concerned with the uro-genital
systems of the body - the prostate gland and testes in the male, and the genito-ovarian system
in the female. There are two very powerful practices which rechannel sexual energy and help
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bring about the awakening of swadhisthana. These are vajroli and sahajoli mudras. Vajroli is
practised by males and sahajoli by females. There are simple forms of vajroli and also more
difficult techniques which require the direct guidance of a guru. However, the practice given
here can be performed by anyone who is thoroughly familiar whith shalabhasana,
dhanurasana and uddiyana bandha. When these practices are performed, vajroli and sahajoli
can be perfected with reasonable ease.
Note: See the section entitled, 'Difference between moola bandha, vajroli and ashwini
mudras', given in Chapter 5 of this section.
Preparatory practices
A large number of asanas have a direct effect on swadhisthana chakra and help to bring
about initial purification and sensitization. We suggest that you practise shakti bandha series,
bhujangasana, shashankasana, dhanurasana and shashank-bhujangasana.
Practice 1: Swadhisthana chakra location
Sit in a comfortable position.
Move one finger down to the lowest end of the spine and feel the coccyx, the tailbone.
Then move the finger up about one inch, along the sacral portion of the pelvis, and press
hard for one minute.
When you take the finger away, you will experience a residual sensation.
About half an inch deep into that sensation is the location of swadhisthana chakra.
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Concentrate on it for 2 minutes or so repeating mentally, 'swadhisthana, swadhisthana,
swadhisthana'.
Practice 2: Kshetram location
If you feel down to the lower end of the abdomen, you will come to a bony portion at the
front part of the pelvis. This is called the pubis, and is the anatomical location of
swadhisthana kshetram.
Press hard on this area for about one minute.
Then remove the finger and concentrate on the point where your finger was and repeat
mentally, 'swadhisthana, swadhisthana, swadhisthana'.
Practice 3: Ashwini mudra
Sit in any meditative posture.
Relax the whole body, close the eyes and breathe normally.
Contract the sphincter muscles of the anus for half a second, relax them for half a second,
then contract them again and continue like this.
Try to feel the waves spreading up to hit swadhisthana chakra.
Focus your whole attention on the lower end of the spine and feel the pressure waves.
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Continue this for a few minutes.
Practice 4: Vajroli mudra (for men)
Sit comfortably in siddhasana, preferably with a thin cushion or a folded blanket beneath
the buttocks.
Close the eyes and relax.
Try to draw the sexual organ upward by pulling and tensing the lower abdomen and
contracting the urinary system.
This contraction is similar to that which is made when the urge to urinate is controlled.
Try not to perform moola bandha or ashwini mudra at the same time.
Contract for 10 seconds, release for ю seconds and continue this alternately.
Concentrate on the kshetram at the pubis all the time, repeating mentally, 'swadhisthana,
swadhisthana, swadhisthana'.
Continue for a few minutes.
Practice 4: Sahajoli (for women)
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Sit comfortably in siddha yoni asana, preferably with a thin cushion or folded blanket
beneath the buttocks.
Make sure your foot is perfectly clean before you place the heel inside the vaginal
entrance.
Close your eyes and relax.
Contract the muscles of the vagina and then relax them several times in succession.
Gradually increase the contraction until it becomes more intense and deep.
Hold the contraction for 10 seconds, release for 10 seconds and continue like this, mentally
repeating, 'swadhisthana, swadhisthana, swadhisthana'.
Continue for a few minutes.
Note: This practice is also known as ohji mudra.
Practise
The sadhana (practices 1-4) for awakening swadhisthana chakra, should be perfected over a
period of one month. It should be kept in mind that swadhisthana is the switch for bindu
visarga, and therefore, the sadhana for swadhisthana also brings about a simultaneous effect
on and awakening of bindu.
You can also continue the sadhana for ajna and mooladhara chakras.
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Chapter 7
Practices for Manipura Chakra
Month 4
There are several methods of awakening manipura chakra. According to hatha yoga,
manipura is directly connected with the eyes. Ajna chakra and manipura chakra are very
closely related to one another in the same way that vision and willful action are
interdependent processes. Therefore, the practice of trataka brings about manipura awakening
as well as ajna chakra awakening.
Although tantra is not against any particular diet, when manipura chakra is to be
awakened, the diet has to be very pure, and at certain stages, fasting may be necessary as well.
If manipura is awakened when the diet is faulty, harmful reactions may take place. Because
manipura is the center of the digestive fire, disorders of the gastrointestinal system are
corrected by manipura sadhana.
The major constituents of manipura sadhana are uddiyana bandha and nauli kriya.
Uddiyana bandha is the contraction of the abdomen and the control of the muscles of the
abdominal wall, as well as control over the small and large intestines and the other digestive
and visceral organs. The functions of the liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas and stomach are
brought into harmonious and controlled interaction when uddiyana bandha is perfected.
However, agnisar kriya must be mastered before uddiyana is attempted.
Nauli kriya is the control of the rectus abdomini muscles and churning of the whole
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abdomen. This is a difficult practice which takes some time to perfect. However, with mastery
of nauli, it is easy to create a union of prana and apana in the navel, so manipura chakra can
be awakened.
Preparatory practices
The following asanas will be found useful in awakening manipura chakra:
pawanmuktasana (anti-gastric series), chakrasana, dhanurasana, marjariasana, matsyasana,
yoga mudra, paschimottanasana and ushtrasana.
Practice 1: Chakra and kshetram location
Stand sideways in front of a mirror.
Put one finger of one hand on the navel and one finger of the other hand on the spine,
directly behind.
Sit down, press firmly with the finger on the spine for one minute, then remove the finger.
As the pressure sensation continues, concentrate on the area slightly deeper in from that
point.
This is the location of manipura chakra.
Mentally repeat the mantra, 'manipura' for a few minutes, while feeling the sensation at
that point.
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Then fix your attention at the navel itself.
This is the location of manipura kshetram.
Whilst feeling the blood pulse at this point, mentally repeat the mantra, 'manipura' for a
few minutes.
Practice 2 : Manipura purification
Assume a comfortable sitting pose.
Hold the back straight and keep the eyes closed.
Breathe slowly and deeply, feeling the expansion and contraction of the navel as you
breathe in and out through the navel.
Feel the breath expanding and contracting in the navel area for some minutes.
As the navel expands outward, feel that the breath is being pulled in through the navel,
straight back to manipura in the spine.
As the navel contracts inward, feel that the breath flows from manipura chakra in the spine
to the navel and out of the body.
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Practise this for a few minutes each day while mentally repeating, 'manipura, manipura,
manipura'.
Practice 3: Agnisar kriya
Increasing the digestive fire
Technique 1: (simple form)
Sit in vajrasana.
Keeping the toes together, separate the knees as far as possible.
Keep both hands on the knees, straighten the arms and lean forward slightly.
Open the mouth and extend the tongue outside.
Breathe rapidly in and out while simultaneously expanding and contracting the abdomen.
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The respiration should be in harmony with the movement of the abdomen and should
resemble the panting of a dog.
Breathe in and out up to 25 times.
Technique 2 : (advanced form)
Assume the same pose as technique 1.
Exhale as completely as possible.
Perform jalandhara bandha.
Rapidly contract and expand the abdominal muscles repeatedly, for as long as you are able
to retain the breath outside.
Release jalandhara bandha and inhale fully.
Perform the practice 4 more times, each time waiting until the breath has returned to
normal.
Note: Agnisar kriya should be practised on an empty stomach early in the morning. The
advanced form should not be attempted until the simple form is mastered. Sufferers of heart
disease or peptic ulcer should not practise agnisar kriya, nor should pregnant women or
persons who have undergone abdominal surgery in the last 6 to 9 months.
Practice 4: Uddiyana bandha
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The abdominal lock
Sit in a meditative pose in which the knees touch the floor.
If this is not possible, then you can perform uddiyana while standing.
Place the palms on the knees, close the eyes and relax the whole body.
Exhale completely and keep the breath outside.
Perform jalandhara bandha.
Then contract the abdominal muscles as far as possible inward and upward.
This is a kind of sucking action of the muscles.
Hold this lock for as long as the breath can be retained outside.
Concentrate on manipura chakra in the spine and repeat mentally, 'manipura, manipura,
manipura'.
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Slowly relax the stomach muscles.
Release jalandhara bandha and inhale.
When the respiration has returned to normal, the process may be repeated.
Practise a few rounds and gradually increase to 10.
Note: Limitations are the same as for agnisar kriya.
Practice 5: Nauli
Abdominal churning
Stand with the feet separated by about a meter.
Place the hands on the knees and bend the knees slightly.
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Perform uddiyana bandha in this position.
Stage 1 : Madhyama nauli
Contract the rectus abdomini muscles and isolate them at the center of the abdomen.
After mastering this, proceed to the next stage.
Stage 2 : Varna nauli
Left abdominal churning
Isolate the rectus abdomini muscles at the left side of the abdomen.
Stage з: Dakshina nauli
Isolate the rectus abdomini muscles at the right side of the abdomen.
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Stage 4
The practitioner should be able to perform stages 1-3 without the slightest difficulty,
before attempting this stage.
Perform uddiyana bandha from the standing position.
Isolate the rectus abdomini muscles, then try to churn or roll them so that they move from
the left, to the center, to the right in one smooth motion, then from the right, to the center, to
the left.
Repeat this movement in quick succession as many times as possible while retaining the
breath outside.
Then relax the abdominal muscles and breathe in deeply and fully.
When the respiration has returned to normal, repeat the process, this time rolling the
muscles from right to left.
Practise each round for as long as you can retain the breath.
Do up to 6 rounds - 3 times from left to right and 3 times from right to left.
Note: Nauli should not be attempted until agnisar kriya and uddiyana bandha have been
perfected. Limitations are the same as for agnisar kriya. Sufferers of high blood pressure
should also avoid this practice.
Practice 6: Union of prana and apana
Sit in siddhasana or siddha yoni asana.
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Relax the whole body for a few minutes, bringing it to the point of absolute immobility.
Now become aware of the natural abdominal breath.
Center your awareness on the movement of the navel as you inhale and exhale.
Continue for some minutes.
Now become aware that there are two forces travelling to the navel - prana and apana.
One force (apana) is ascending from mooladhara to the navel, while the other (prana), is
descending to the navel from above.
They must both reach the navel at the point of full inhalation.
When you feel that the two forces are meeting in the navel, perform kumbhaka, retention
of breath, and then develop mental awareness of the single central point of force in the navel.
Do not strain.
Release the breath and continue this practice in your own natural rhythm.
The awareness of the two forces travelling and meeting in the navel center must be
simultaneous.
Now, as the two forces are converging in the navel, gradually allow moola bandha to take
place.
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Go on contracting moola bandha as you heighten your awareness of the force which is
centered in the navel.
Hold your breath for as long as you can, while centralizing the force in the navel and
performing moola bandha.
As you release the breath, release moola bandha as well. Do not strain. Go on practising
for 3 minutes or more.
Practise
Practise the techniques for awakening manipura chakra for one month and then proceed to
those for anahata chakra. Nauli may be difficult for many people; do not strain or overexert. It
is best not to attempt it until you have mastered agnisar kriya and uddiyana bandha.
The practices for awakening ajna, mooladhara and swadhisthana can also be continued.
Chapter 8
Practices for Anahata Chakra
Month 5
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Anahata chakra can be awakened very simply through the practice of
ajapa japa. Japa means "repetition" and ajapa is the repetition of a
mantra until it ultimately becomes the spontaneous form of your
conscious awareness.
Another important practice in anahata awakening is bhramari
pranayama. Although it is called a pranayama, bhramari is actually a
meditational practice. It is not directly related to controlling prana, as are
other forms of pranayama. In the scriptures, the heart center is termed,
"the center of unstruck sound" and also "the cave of bees." In bhramari,
the humming sound oi the bees is produced and traced towards its source.
This develops deep mental and emotional relaxation and is extremely
effective in cardiac disorders.
Anahata chakra is the center of bhakti or devotion. It is awakened in
accordance with the degree of devotion to guru, God, or personal deity, in
whatever form or non-form one may visualize or understand the spiritual
intelligence of the universe. All practices of yoga, especially when done
with the blessings ol the guru, will automatically awaken devotion in the
spiritual heart (anahata chakra). There are many excellent books on
bhakti yoga which will help to inspire the aspirant to follow this path. Any
biographies of saints, yogis and bhaktas will also be useful. An excellent
description of the process of bhakti yoga is given in our publication
entitled, A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Toga
and Kriya.
Preparatory practices
Asanas that help to purify anahata chakra include: shalabhasana,
dhanurasana, matsyasana, gomukhasana, kandharasana, baddha
padmasana, sarpasana, supta vajrasana and sirshasana.
Practice 1: Chakra and kshetram location
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Stand sideways in front of a mirror.
Put one linger of one hand on the center of the chest.
Here you will find anahata kshetram.
Put one finger of the other hand on the spine, directly behind the
kshetram; this is anahata chakra.
Sit down, press both iingers firmly for one minute, and then remove
the fingers.
The sensation at the chakra and kshetram will continue.
Concentrate on the sensation at the chakra and mentally repeat,
'anahata, anahata, anahata', for a few minutes.
Practice 2: Anahata purification
Assume a comfortable sitting posture.
Hold the back straight but without strain.
Keep the eyes closed.
Breathe slowly and deeply, feeling the expansion and contraction of
the chest as you breathe in and out for some minutes.
Then become aware of your breath moving in and out of the anahata
region.
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As the chest expands, feel that the breath flows in through the center
of the chest and back to anahata chakra.
As the chest contracts, feel that the breath flows from anahata chakra
in the spine, through the center of the chest and out of the body.
Practise this for some minutes, mentally repeating, 'anahata, anahata,
anahata'.
Practice 3: Bhramari pranayama
The humming breath
Sit in a comfortable meditative pose.
Adjust your position and relax fully for some minutes.
Plug the ears with the index fingers.
Face forward and hold the spine as straight as possible.
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Close the eyes.
Relax the whole body.
Keep the teeth slightly separated and the mouth closed throughout the
entire practice.
This allows the vibration to be experienced more distinctly in the brain.
Breathe in slowly and deeply.
Then, while breathing out, produce a humming sound.
The sound should be smooth and continuous for the full duration of
exhalation.
The humming need not be loud.
The important thing is that you hear the sound reverberating within
your head.
The exhalation should be slow and controlled.
At the end of exhalation, stop the humming sound and breathe in.
Keep the eyes closed and the ears plugged.
Again repeat the humming sound with the next exhalation.
Try to relax fully during the practice. Do not strain in any way.
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Continue for 5 or ю minutes.
Practice 4: Ajapa japa meditation
Sit in siddhasana, siddha yoni asana or any posture which feels
completely comfortable.
Close your eyes and relax for a few minutes.
Now become aware of your natural breath as it enters and leaves the
body.
Do not try to control the breath, just become a witness of the natural
breathing process.
Now become aware that the sound of inhalation is so and the sound of
exhalation is ham. The natural mantra of the breath is so-ham.
You have only to discover it.
Be simultaneously aware of the natural breath, coupled with the idea
of so-ham-so-ham-so-ham.
You must be totally relaxed in this practice.
Do not lose awareness of the mantra or your natural breath, even for
an instant. Do not be concerned with the thoughts and feelings that arise.
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Allow them to come and go as they will. Remain ever aware of the
natural breath and the ongoing mantra.
Now become aware of the psychic breath which is flowing in the front
of the body brtween the navel and the throat, and between the throat and
the navel.
With inspiration, this psychic breath rises from the navel to the throat
and its mantra is so. With expiration, the psychic breath descends from
the throat back to the navel. Its mantra is ham.
Maintain awareness of the breath passing through the psychic
passageway and producing the sound so-ham-so-ham-so-ham.
Continue this practice for ю or 15 minutes more, allowing your
breathing to be totally relaxed.
Note: Ajapa japa can be practised at any time, but it should be done
for 5 to ю minutes per day - either in the morning sadhana session or at
night, immediately before sleep. It should be continued for at least one
month.
Practice 5: Meditation - entering the heart space
Sit in siddhasana or any other comfortable posture.
Close your eyes and relax yourself completely for some time.
Concentrate your awareness in the throat region.
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Now become aware of the breath in the throat.
Only be aware of the sensation of the breath in the throat for some
time.
Now add the awareness of the ingoing breath from the throat
downwards.
You are not concerned with the outgoing breath.
Your attention is occupied only with the ingoing breath in the throat.
Become aware of the inflowing breath in the throat passing within the
network of the diaphragm.
Be aware of the diaphragm - the rising and falling muscular floor
separating the chest and lungs above from the abdominal organs below.
With each inspiration, it drops into the abdomen a little, increasing the
pressure there and causing the navel to expand.
Simultaneously, the lungs are expanding fully in the chest.
Be aware with expiration that the abdomen contracts, the diaphragm
is rising and the lungs are emptying completely.
Develop awareness of the diaphragm for some time.
Now, also become aware of the akasha, the space within which the
diaphragm is operating.
With the ingoing breath you feel this space is filling up.
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Only be aware of the process of filling up the space.
This process of filling up is only a basis for the awareness of this vast
space.
The process of feeling the breath is only the basis for experiencing the
heart space.
Become aware of the space in the heart; take your awareness directly
there.
Feel the space within the heart. It is contracting and expanding with
the rhythm of the natural breath.
Breath is only the basis.
The process of filling up is only the basis.
Go on to comprehend the whole space.
Then you are aware of the space alone.
Feel the contraction and expansion of this vast space.
It is taking place on the rhythm of the natural breath.
The breath is natural and spontaneous.
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Do not alter it in any way.
Do not make it longer or shorter, deeper or more shallow, faster or
slower.
It has to become a spontaneous and voluntary movement of breath.
In this practice the awareness of the space in the heart is important.
If the awareness of the expansion and contraction of the heart space is
constant and stabilized, after some time, many visions and experiences
will manifest there.
You do not have to visualize or imagine anything. The vision will come
by itself when the awareness of the heart space is constant.
The vision is of a lake and a blue lotus.
If you are able to feel the space of the heart contracting and
expanding, then maintain your awareness there.
If that is not possible, then you have to feel the breath which is filling
up the space. That is the first stage of the practice.
The second stage is the direct feeling of the space and its expansion
and contraction on the rhythm of the breath.
The third stage is the awareness of the blue lotus and the still lake. It
will come by itself.
Keep yourself ready for that experience.
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Now become aware of the natural inflowing and outflowing breath in
the throat.
Withdraw your awareness from the heart space and bring it to the
natural breath in the throat.
Maintain awareness of the inflowing and outflowing breath in the
throat for some time.
Practise for 5 or 10 minutes.
Chant 0m 3 times.
Allow the sound to manifest fully and spontaneously from deep within.
For a few minutes, listen carefully for the inner vibration of the sound.
Release your posture and open your eyes.
Practise
Practise these techniques for awakening anahata chakra for one month
and then proceed to those for awakening vishuddhi chakra.
All the practices given for awakening ajna, mooladhara, swadhisthana
and manipura chakras can be done if sufficient time is available. If not,
then we suggest that you do a few selected techniques from each chakra
sadhana as follows:
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ajna - trataka and shambhavi mudra
mooladhara - moola bandha and nasikagra
mudra swadhisthana - chakra and kshetram location, vajroli or sahajoli
manipura - chakra and kshetram location, uddiyana bandha and nauli
(if possible).
Chapter 9
Practices for Vishuddhi Chakra
Month 6
Vishuddhi chakra can be directly awakened through the practices of
jalandhara bandha, vipareeta karani asana and ujjayi pranayama, all of
which are essential for eventual mastery of kriya yoga.
A minor chakra which is closely related to vishuddhi is called lalana
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chakra, which is located at the back of the roof of the mouth, at the soft
palate, and it directly helps to awaken vishuddhi. For this reason, one of
the kundalini kriyas, called amrit pan, is concerned with its direct
stimulation. A simpler practice for awakening lalana is khechari mudra,
which is described in this chapter.
Preparatory practices
Many asanas can be utilized for purifying vishuddhi chakra. The most
important are: bhujangasana, sirshasana, matsyasana, supta vajrasana
and sarvangasana.
Practice 1: Jalandhara bandha
Sit in any meditative pose which allows the knees to firmly touch the
floor. Those who cannot sit like this can practise Jalandhara bandha
standing.
Place the palms of the hands on the knees.
The chin lock
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Close the eyes and relax the whole body. Inhale deeply, retain the
breath inside and bend the head forward, pressing the chin tightly against
the chest (particularly the sternum).
Straighten the arms and lock them into position.
Simultaneously hunch the shoulders upward and forward - this will
ensure that the elbows remain locked.
The palms should remain on the knees.
Stay in the final pose for as long as you are comfortably able to retain
the breath.
Then relax the shoulders, bend the arms, slowly release the lock, raise
the head and exhale.
Repeat when the respiration returns to normal.
Practise 5 times.
Note: The whole practice can also be performed with the breath
retained outside.
* Never inhale or exhale until the chin lock has been released and the
head is upright.
* Persons with high intracranial or blood pressure, or with heart
ailments, should not practise without expert guidance.
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Practice 2: Khechari mudra
Close the mouth and roll the tongue backward so that the normally
lower surface touches the upper palate.
Try to bring the tip of the tongue as far back as possible without
strain.
Keep it there for as long as it is comfortable.
If you experience discomfort, relax the tongue for a few seconds and
repeat.
Alter some practice the tongue may be able to extend beyond the
palate and up into the nasopharynx, where it will stimulate many vital
nerve centers.
Breath: Breathe normally during this practice unless ujjayi is used.
Over a period of a few months, however, it is usual to reduce the
breathing rate to 7 or 8 breaths per minute. With careful practice,
preferably under expert guidance, the respiration rate can be further
reduced.
Note: Advanced practitioners sometimes erode or slowly divide the
frenulum membrane beneath the tongue. This is not recommended here,
and should only be attempted under direct guidance from a guru.
Practice 3: Ujjayi pranayama
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Practise khechari rnudra.
Contract the glottis in the throat.
When you breathe under these circumstances, a very soft snoring
sound should automatically come from the throat region. It is like the
sound of a sleeping baby.
Feel that you are breathing through the throat and not the nose.
Try to make the breaths long and relaxed.
Practise for 2 minutes initially, then you can gradually extend the time.
Practice 4: Chakra and kshetram location and purification
Sit or stand in front of a mirror.
Place a finger of one hand on the glottis (the lump at the front of the
throat).
This is the location point of vishuddhi kshetram.
Then place a finger of the other hand on the spine, directly behind the
kshetram.
This point in the spine is called vishuddhi chakra.
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Press the spine for one minute in order to feel a sensation at the
chakra area.
Then lower your hands.
Concentrate on the sensation at the chakra and repeat mentally,
'vishuddhi, vishuddhi, vishuddhi'.
Sit in a comfortable position with the back straight.
Close the eyes and become aware of the breath.
Fold your tongue back into khechari mudra and practise ujjayi
pranayama.
For a minute or so, be aware of the sound of the breath at the throat,
and let your breathing become slower and deeper.
Then with inhalation, imagine that the breath is being drawn in
through vishuddhi kshetram at the front of the throat.
Feel that the breath passes through the kshetram and eventually
pierces vishuddhi chakra in the spine.
With exhalation, feel the breath move from vishuddhi chakra, forward
through the kshetram and eventually out, in front of the body.
This is one round.
Continue for a few minutes.
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Daily practice in this manner will gradually develop your sensitivity to
vishuddhi chakra and kshetram.
Practice 5: Vipareeta karani asana
The inverted attitude
Lie flat on the floor with the feet together, the arms by the sides and
the palms flat on the floor.
Breathe in deeply.
Using the arms as support, raise the legs over the head, keeping them
straight.
Bend the arms and place the hands under the hips to support the
body.
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Raise the legs to the vertical position.
Breathe deeply, fixing your attention on the breath.
Eyes should be closed.
Note: Vipareeta karani asana is similar to sarvangasana, except that
the chin is not pressed against the chest and the trunk is held at a 45
degree angle to the ground instead of at right angles.
* Shavasana is the counterpose and should be done for a few minutes
on completion of vipareeta karani asana.
* Advanced practitioners can hold the posture for 15 minutes or even
more; beginners should practise for a few seconds and add a few seconds
daily.
* This asana should not be done by sufferers of thyroid, liver or spleen
enlargement, high blood pressure or heart ailments.
* Vipareeta karani asana is widely used in kundalini yoga since it helps
to redirect the energies of the body from the lower to the higher chakras.
It is an integral part of the first of the kundalini kriyas called vipareeta
karani mudra.
Practise
Perfect these vishuddhi chakra practices over a period of one month
and then start the practices for bindu visarga.
The sadhana for the other chakras can also be continued with a few
selected techniques from each chakra as follows:
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ajna - trataka and shambhavi mudra
mooladhara - moola bandha and nasikagra mudra
swadhisthana - chakra and ksbetram location, vajroli (or sahajoli)
manipura - chakra and kshetram location, uddiyana bandha and nauli
anahata - chakra and kshetram location, ajapa japa.
Chapter 10
Practices for Bindu Visarga
Month 7
The bindu visarga trigger point is considered to be a tiny point at the
top of the back of the head, but this point cannot be located physically. It
can only be found when the nada or sound of bindu has been discovered
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and traced to its source. Through the practice of moorchha pranayama
and vajroli mudra awareness of the nada can be developed. Then, through
practices such as bhramari pranayama and yoni mudra, the nada can be
traced to its source.
It is not intended that you practise all the nada yoga techniques at one
time. You should adopt the practice which you can perform without
difficulty. It does not matter which practice you commence with, because
all the techniques lead to awareness of the same subtle inner sounds.
There is a very close relationship between swadhisthana chakra and
bindu visarga. This is because bindu is the point where the primal sound
of creation first manifests. It is the point of origin of individuality, and
swadhisthana is the source of the impetus towards reproduction and
sexual function. This is the material expression of the desire to reunite
with the infinite consciousness beyond bindu. Sperm and menses are the
material distillates of the drop of ambrosial nectar which emerges from
bindu visarga.
Note: There is no kshetram corresponding to bindu.
Practice 1: Moorchha pranayama
The fainting breath attitude
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This practice requires a steady and firm asana - siddhasana is the
best.
Hold the spine and head upright and relax the whole body.
Perform khechari mudra.
Inhale through the nostrils with ujjayi pranayama while simultaneously
bending the head backward and assuming shambhavi mudra.
The inhalation should be slow and deep. At the end of inhalation, your
head should lean backward, but not completely. The position of the head
is as shown in the diagram.
Retain the breath inside for as long as is comfortable, maintaining
shambhavi mudra, but keeping the attention at bindu.
Keep the arms straight by locking the elbows and pressing the knees
with the hands.
Fix your whole awareness on bindu.
Then bend the arms and slowly exhale with ujjayi pranayama as you
bend the head forward. Slowly lower and close the eyes.
At the end of exhalation your head should face forward and the eyes
should be completely closed.
Relax the whole body for a short time, keeping the eyes closed.
Release khechari mudra and breathe normally.
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Become aware of the lightness and calmness pervading the whole
mind.
This is one round.
After some time, commence the second round.
Practice 10 or more rounds, or until a fainting sensation is
experienced.
Perform each round for as long as possible, but without strain.
Note: Not for sufferers of high blood pressure, vertigo, high
intracranial pressure or brain hemorrhage.
* You should practise until a state of semi-fainting is induced. If you
go beyond this sensation you may become unconscious.
* This practice is very powerful in inducing pratyahara and rendering
the mind free from thoughts, especially when kumbhaka is prolonged.
Practice 2: Vajroli mudra with awareness of bindu
Sit in siddhasana or siddha yoni asana.
Close the eyes and relax.
Try to draw the sexual organs upward by pulling and tensing the lower
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abdomen and contracting the urinary system. This contraction is similar to
that which is made when the urge to urinate is controlled.
Contract for 10 seconds, release for 10 seconds, and continue this
alternately.
Each time you attain full contraction of the urinary and reproductive
systems, bring your awareness to swadhisthana chakra in the spinai
column, at the level of the coccyx. Repeat,'swadhisthana, swadhisthana,
swadhisthana', mentally.
Then draw your awareness up through sushumna passage to bindu
visarga, uniting the sexual and reproductive energy with its source in
bindu.
Mentally repeat, "bindu, bindu, bindu".
Then return to swadhisthana and release vajroli mudra.
This is one round.
Continue this alternately for several minutes, practising up to 25
rounds.
Note: This practice should be performed immediately after moorchha
pranayarna, as both these practices awaken the awareness of bindu.
Practice 3: Perception of subtle inner sound
This practice should be preceded by bhramari pranayama.
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In this stage no loud humming sound is produced, you only listen
attentively to the inner sound.
You should keep your eyes closed and your fingers in your ears; this is
necessary to block out external disturbances.
Listen for any subtle sounds within your head.
At first you may find this difficult, but keep trying.
As soon as you become aware of a sound, any sound, try to fix your
awareness on it to the exclusion of other sounds.
Go on listening.
After some days or weeks of practice, you should find that one sound
is very distinct, and it will become louder and louder.
Be totally aware of that sound.
This is your vehicle of awareness - let your awareness flow towards
this sound, leaving all other sounds and thoughts.
Gradually, through practice, your sensitivity will increase.
Eventually you will hear another sound, a faint sound in the
background; it will be almost obliterated by the main, louder sound that
you are hearing, but you will hear it nevertheless.
You should now listen to the new faint sound.
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Leave the other louder sound and continue to listen to this new sound.
It will become more and more distinct.
This will become the new, more subtle vehicle of your awareness.
Let this sound occupy your whole attention. This will further increase
your sensitivity of perception.
Eventually you will hear another faint sound emerging from behind this
louder sound.
Fix your awareness on this new sound, discarding the other sound.
Continue in the same manner, allowing the new sound to occupy your
whole awareness.
When it becomes loud, try to perceive a more subtle underlying sound
and fix your awareness on it.
In this manner your perception will become progressively more
sensitive, allowing you to dive deep into your being.
Note: It requires practice over a period of weeks and months to
perceive these progressively more subtle sounds. For many weeks you
may be unable to hear even the first sound.
* This is a very simple but powerful technique that will bring results if
you persevere. All that is necessary is time and effort. Try to practise for
as long as you have time. In the beginning, devote 15 minutes or more to
bhramari and this practice together.
Practice 4: Yoni mudra
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Yoni mudra is also known as shanmukhi mudra,which means,'the
closing of the seven gates'. It is so called because the two eyes, two ears,
two nostrils and the mouth arc closed during the practice. These are the
seven doors of outer perception. It is via these doorways that one
receives the sense data from the outside world. When these doors are
closed, we facilitate the direction of the awareness internally; that is, into
the mind.
Yoni mudra is amore advanced practice than bhramari. It is slightly
more difficult as it is not preceded by a vocalized humming sound, and it
is combined with retention of the breath. Yoni mudra is more suitable for
those who have a reasonably harmonized mind and are not beset by
distractions.
The invocation of the source
Sit in any comfortable meditative asana, preferably siddhasana.
Completely relax the body and mind.
Bring the hands in front of the face, with the elbows pointing sideways.
Hold the spine atid head upright.
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Close the ears with the thumbs, the eyes with the index fingers, the
nostrils with the middle fingers and the mouth with the ring and small
fingers placed above and below the lips respectively.
The fingers should gently but firmly close the seven doors.
Throughout the practice, the middle fingers should release the nostrils
during inhalation and exhalation.
Now inhale deeply and slowly.
At the end of inhalation, close the nostrils with the middle fingers and
retain the breath.
Try to hear sounds emanating from bindu at the back of the head,
from the middle of the head, or perhaps the right ear.
At first you will either hear many sounds or none - it does not matter.
Just continue listening.
Hold your breath for as long as it is comfortable.
Then release the pressure of the middle fingers and slowly breathe
out.
This is one round.
Inhale once more, close the nostrils, and retain the breath.
Listen to the inner sounds.
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After a comfortable length of time, release the nostrils and breathe
out.
Continue in this way for the duration of the practice.
During the period of breath retention, your full awareness should be
directed to the perception of inner nada.
At first there may be a confused jumble of sounds, but gradually you
will hear a specific sound. This may take a few days or weeks, but it will
be perceived.
When you hear a distinct sound, be totally aware of it.
It will become clearer and clearer.
Keep your awareness fixed on the sound.
Listen very carefully.
If your sensitivity is sufficiently developed, you will hear another sound
in the background. It may be faint, but perceptible.
Leave the first sound and transfer your awareness to the perception of
the fainter sound.
In this way you will transcend the first sound.
Eventually this second sound will overwhelm your whole attention.
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Again, with practice and enhanced sensitivity, you will hear a further
sound start to emerge. It will be faintly perceptible behind the louder
second sound.
Direct your awareness to this new sound.
Carry on in this way - perceive a sound and then discard it when you
can hear a more subtle sound.
The more subtle the sound you perceive, the deeper you will delve into
the depth of your being.
Continue this practice for a few minutes.
Do not expect to hear subtle sounds on your first attempt. Practice is
necessary. Eventually you will be able to readily transcend the gross
external sounds and then the progressively more subtle sounds.
Do not dwell on any of the sounds for too long. This is not the purpose
of the practice. The aim is to leave behind each sound you discover and to
go deeper.
Do not get lost or distracted by the beautiful sounds which will
manifest on your journey.
Breath retention: This technique is more effective if you can retain
your breath for extended periods of time. Those aspirants who have been
practising nadi shodhana pranayama regularly for some months
beforehand, will find yoni mudra an easy and effective means of
introspection.
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Awareness: The point of awareness during the practice should be fixed
at the back of the head in the bindu region. However, if you hear a distinct
sound in any other area, such as the right ear or the middle of the head,
then your awareness should be fixed there.
Some people may find it easier to listen to the nada in the region of
the heart space (anahata chakra), especially those of a devotional nature.
The important thing is not so much the point of awareness, but that the
awareness remains fixed on progressively more subtle sounds. Total
absorption on the nada can lead to dhyana or the meditative state of
awareness.
Practise
Practise the techniques for bindu visarga for one month. Then begin
the techniques given in the next chapter for integrated chakra awareness.
The selected techniques for ajna, mooladhara, swadhisthana,
manipura and anahata chakras can also be done daily, as given in the
"Practise" section of the previous chapter. For vishuddhi chakra,
jalandhara bandha, vishuddhi chakra purification and vipareeta karani
asana can be done. Khechari mudra and ujjayi pranayama need not be
done separately, since they are both incorporated into techniques given in
this section.
Chapter 11
Practices for Integrated Chakra Awareness
224
Month 8
So far we have given a series of practices for each of the individual
chakras. In this chapter we will describe practices which are concerned
with overall awakening of the chakras. Of course, the awakening of one
chakra cannot take place in isolation; it must have repercussions on all
the chakras to a greater or lesser extent. In this respect it can be said
that the techniques for specific chakras will also influence all the chakras,
but the following techniques systematically help to activate all the chakras
together and bring balance into the whole mind-body-chakra axis. The
practices are as follows:
1. Chakra meditation
2. Musical chakra meditation
3. Chaturtha pranayama
4. Chakra yoga nidra
5. Unmani mudra
6. Bija mantra sanchalana
7. Drawing the chakras.
Practice 1: Chakra meditation
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Make yourself comfortable in a meditative asana, preferably
siddhasana or siddha yoni asana.
Place both hands on the knees in chin mudra ( palms facing upward,
thumbs and forefingers together).
Close your eyes and make the body steady throughout.
The spinal column should be absolutely upright and straight, with the
back and shoulders fully relaxed.
The head should be poised comfortably on top of the spinal column.
The whole body is completely relaxed and immobile.
It is motionless like a statue.
Maintain absolute awareness of the physical body for several minutes.
Become aware of the spinal column.
Now bring your awareness to ajna chakra.
Ajna chakra is located inside the brain at a point directly behind the
eyebrow center and on top of the spinal column, where the pineal gland is
situated.
Try to discover a pulsation within this ajna chakra region.
Be absolutely aware of this pulsation.
Now synchronize the mantra Оm with the pulsation in the ajna chakra
region.
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Оm, Оm, Оm, Оm, Оm, should be the form of your awareness with the
pulsation of ajna chakra.
Count the pulsation 21 times.
Now begin to practise ashwini mudra.
Do not be concerned with ajna chakra, only practise ashwini mudra contraction and relaxation of the anus.
It should be practised at a medium speed - neither too quickly nor too
slowly.
After practising like this for a few sessions, you should be able to feel
the center of ajna automatically while performing ashwini.
When that happens you can begin to concentrate directly on ajna.
Until then, go on with ashwini mudra for about 4 minutes.
Now bring your awareness to the perineal region and the psychic
center of mooladhara chakra.
Discover the precise psychic point of mooladhara chakra.
Now try to discover a subtle pulsation there.
Localize the pulsation very precisely in the mooladhara region and
count 21 pulsations.
Now open your eyes and adopt nasikagra drishti; gazing at the
nosetip.
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Do not be concerned with mooladhara chakra, but only with nosetip
awareness.
The simultaneous awareness of mooladhara chakra will come after
some time.
Continue this practice for 3 minutes.
Now bring your awareness to swadhisthana chakra in the region of the
tail bone.
Discover the psychic point of swadhisthana chakra.
Try to discover the pulsation in this center.
Count this pulsation 21 times.
Now perform vajroli mudra - the drawing up and releasing of the
genital and urinary systems.
Continue vajroii mudra for 4 minutes.
Then bring your awareness to the region of the navel.
Become aware of the psychic breath from mooladhara to the navel,
and from the throat to the navel.
Both these breaths must reach the navel at the point of full inhalation.
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When the two forces meet and coincide in the navel, retain the breath
there, and develop the mental awareness of the single central point
offeree in the navel.
Then release the breath and continue this practice in your own natural
rhythm.
Continue for 4 minutes.
Now take your awareness directly back to manipura chakra, within the
spinal column, directly behind the navel.
Try to isolate that point and the pulsation there.
Count the pulse 21 times in manipura chakra.
Now bring your awareness to the region of anahata chakra in the
spinal column, at the level of the center of the chest.
Isolate that point and try to discover a pulsation within it.
Count the pulsation 21 times.
Now bring your awareness to the space of the heart.
First become aware of the ingoing breath in the throat.
With the ingoing breath, feel the vast heart space filling up.
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Feel the heart space directly - contracting and expanding with the
rhythm of the spontaneous, natural breath.
Be aware of the vision which will come in the vast heart space.
Allow it to come by itself.
Continue for 2 minutes.
Now bring your awareness to the throat pit and then take it directly
back to vishuddhi chakra in the spinal column.
Repeat mentally, 'vishuddhi, vishuddhi, vishuddhi'.
Try to discover the pulsation within vishuddhi and witness it for 21
pulsations.
Now as the name of each chakra is given, move your awareness within
sushumna passage so as to touch the chakra with a small imaginary
flower.
This is all that you have to feel, but your awareness of each chakra
must be very precise - mooladhara, swadhisthana, manipura, anahata,
vishuddhi, ajna; ajna, vishuddhi, anahata, manipura, swadhisthana,
mooladhara.
Guide the consciousness through the chakras in sushumna, ascending
and descending 4 more times. Now chant Оm 3 times.
Practice 2: Musical chakra meditation
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Sound is a particularly effective and enj oyable means of developing
awareness of the chakras. This is why nada yoga is so powerful in spiritual
awakening.
The 7 notes of the musical scale correspond to the vibration of the 7
chakras from mooladhara to sahasrara, and this is the basis for a very
effective musical meditation technique. The best instrument of all is the
human voice, which can be supplemented by the harmonium. However,
other instruments can also be used.
Latin scale
Chakra
Sanskrit scale
Do
mooladhara
Sa
Re
swadhisthana
Re
Mi
manipura
Ga
Fa
anahata
Ma
So
vishuddhi
La
ajna
Dha
Ti
bindu
Ni
Do
Pa
sahasrara
Sa
Stage 1
At first the musical scale of the harmonium is ascended very slowly
while the awareness begins in mooladhara and ascends sushumna from
one chakra to the next, feeling, each note vibrating in the spinal column in
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the region of its corresponding chakra. When sahasrara is attained,
descend the awareness with the musical scale down through sushumna to
mooladhara. The consciousness ascends and descends sushumna with the
scale many times, slowly speeding up as chakra location becomes quick
and effortless.
Stage 2
Now the voice is integrated with the notes. The names of the chakras
are chanted very precisely. The names themselves are mantras, and if
intoned with the correct note and pronunciation, each center can be set
vibrating, and the sushumna passage and the whole body begin to vibrate
with energy. This practice is very powerful. It can be continued for 10
minutes or more.
Stage 3
In this stage the awareness still ascends and descends through
sushumna with the musical scale, but the voice makes a continuous a-a-aa-a-a sound (as in calm) as it ascends and descends through the chakras.
In the final stage the full power of the voice is released and a tremendous
energy is generated, provided the pitch is maintained accurately.
Practice 3: Chaturtha pranayama
Here is a practice that combines breathing, mantra and chakra
awareness. Although it is not widely taught, it is a powerful technique that
is both a pranayama and a meditation. Ghaturtha pranayama means,
'pranayama of the fourth state', or a transcendental state where words
and definitions fail to reach.
This practice will lead to deeper awareness and knowledge of the
chakras. It is also a preparatory technique for kriya yoga as it develops
sensitivity to both the psychic spinal passage and the chakras.
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Technique
Sit in any comfortable meditative posture.
Hold the spine erect and close the eyes.
Breathe deeply.
Let the breath become deeper and more subtle.
Fix your awareness on the rhythmical flow of the breath.
Continue for a number of rounds.
Mentally synchronize the mantra Оm with the breath.
The sound "O" should arise with inhalation.
The sound 'm-m-m-m-m' should arise with exhalation.
This sound should only be mental.
Breathe through the nose, keeping the mouth closed.
Continue in this manner with awareness of the flow of breath and the
mantra.
Now fix your attention at the eyebrow center.
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Feel that you are breathing in through that center with the mental
sound "O".
Feel you are breathing out through that center, mentally chanting 'mm-m-m-m'.
Continue with awareness of the breath, mantra and psychic center.
Focus your attention on mooladhara. With inhalation and the sound
"O-o-o-o-o", feel the breath passing up through the spine, piercing all the
chakras - mooladhara, swadhisthana, manipura, anahata, vishuddhi, ajna,
sahasrara.
With exhalation and the sound "m-m-m-m-m", feel the breath and
sound moving down the spine, piercing all the chakras - sahasrara, ajna,
vishuddhi, anahata, manipura, swadhisthana, mooladhara.
Continue for a number of rounds.
Again fix your attention at the eyebrow center.
Continue the mental repetition of Оm synchronized with the breath,
but do not be aware of the breath.
Only be aware of the mantra and the psychic center.
Feel the "O" and the "m-m-m-m-m" sound.
Continue in this manner for as long as possible.
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Practice 4: Chakra yoga nidra
Yoga nidra can be used very effectively to develop your awareness of
the chakras. Here is an example of a yoga nidra/relaxation session which
includes visualization and rotation of awareness through the psychic
centers. Teachers can adopt this practice directly for their classes. For
personal use, someone can lead you through the practice, or you can put
the instructions onto a tape.
Stage 1: Preparation
Place a folded blanket on the floor and lie on it in shavasana.
Loosen your clothing so you feel perfectly comfortable.
If necessary, cover yourself with a blanket to keep warm, or put a
sheet over you to keep insects away.
The mouth and eyes should remain closed throughout the practice.
Make sure that the spinal column is straight, in line with the head and
neck, and that the hips and shoulders are fully relaxed.
Keep the feet and legs slightly apart.
The arms should be beside your body but not touching, and the palms
should be facing up.
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Adjust your position so that you feel perfectly comfortable.
Tell yourself firmly that you will not move your body throughout the
practice.
Stage 2: Sinking of the body
Look at the space in front of your closed eyes.
Imagine that the space surrounds your whole body.
Your body is immersed in that space.
Simultaneously be aware of your body.
It feels very light, as light as a leaf falling from a tree.
Imagine that your body is slowly sinking into the space that you see in
front of your closed eyes, like a falling leaf.
Your body is slowly sinking into the infinite space.
Be aware of this feeling.
Continue in this manner for a few minutes.
Stage 3: Rhythmical breath awareness
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Become aware of your breathing.
Awareness of the rise and fall of the navel with each breath.
As you breathe in, imagine that you are sucking in air through the
navel.
As you breathe out, imagine that you are pushing air out from the
navel.
It is a rhythmical process. Do not alter the natural breath in any way,
just become aware of it.
Stage 4: Sankalpa
Repeat your sankalpa in a short positive sentence.
It should be the crystallization of your spiritual aspiration and you
should not change it.
Repeat it with feeling, from the heart, not the lips. Repeat your
sankalpa at least 3 times.
Stage 5: Visualization - body awareness
Now try to visualize your own body.
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Imagine that you are viewing it from outside.
Feel that your perception is outside and your body is an object of
study.
You may find visualization difficult - do not worry, just do your best.
If you wish, you can imagine that there is a large mirror suspended
over your body and that your body is reflected in it.
Look at your own reflection.
See your whole body: feet, knees, thighs, abdomen, chest, both
hands, arms, shoulders, neck, head, mouth, nose, ears, eyes, eyebrow
center, your whole face and your whole body.
Combine your rotation of awareness with visualization of that part.
Continue in this manner for a few minutes.
Stage 6: Psychic centers - rotation of awareness
Now you have to discover the location of the chakras.
You have to develop awareness of each psychic center in the body.
Start from the base of the spine and move your awareness upward.
First become aware of mooladhara. In the male body it is situated in
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the perineum, between the anus and genitals, and in the female body it is
located at the cervix - the mouth of the womb.
Try to feel the sensation at mooladhara. It is a very specific point
which you are trying to isolate.
When you have found it, repeat mentally, 'mooladhara, mooladhara,
mooladhara'.
Now move on to the second chakra, swadhisthana.
It is located at the base of the spine, in the coccyx.
Be aware of the sensation at that point and repeat mentally,
'swadhisthana, swadhisthana, swadhisthana'.
The third chakra is manipura.
It is located in the spine in line with the navel.
Feel this point and mentally repeat, 'manipura, manipura, manipura'.
Then become aware of anahata chakra, located in the spine, directly
behind the center of the chest.
Try to locate that point exactly and mentally repeat, 'anahata,
anahata, anahata'.
Now bring your awareness to vishuddhi chakra, situated in the spine,
directly behind the throat pit. Feel the sensations arising at that point and
mentally repeat, 'vishuddhi, vishuddhi, vishuddhi'.
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The next chakra is ajna.
It is located at the very top of the spine in the region of the pineal
gland, directly behind the eyebrow center.
Fix your awareness on that area and mentally repeat, 'ajna, ajna,
ajna'.
Now bring your awareness to bindu, at the top back portion of the
head.
Feel that tiny point as precisely as possible, and repeat mentally,
'bindu, bindu, bindu'.
Finally, become aware of sahasrara, at the crown of the head, and
repeat mentally, 'sahasrara, sahasrara, sahasrara'.
Now repeat this process, slowly descending through the chakras in
reverse order: sahasrara, bindu, ajna, vishuddhi, anahata, manipura,
swadhisthana and mooladhara.
This is one complete round of chakra rotation.
Start a second round: mooladhara, swadhisthana, manipura, anahata,
vishuddhi, ajna, bindu, sahasrara; sahasrara, bindu, ajna, vishuddhi,
anahata, manipura, swadhisthana, mooladhara.
This completes the second round.
Begin a third round, this time a little faster.
As you fix your attention at each point, try to feel a slight vibration
there, a tiny pulsation.
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If you wish, you can chant Оm mentally as you locate each point in
turn.
Practise at least 5 rounds and as many more as time permits.
Stage 7: Psychic centers - visualization
Now try to visualize the symbols of each chakra. This is not easy, but
try.
You can use your own personal system of psychic symbols or the
traditional chakra symbols as follows.
As each chakra is named, try to feel that point being lightly pressed by
the thumb, and simultaneously visualize the symbol.
The psychic symbol for mooladhara is a deep red, four-petalled totus.
Inside there is a smoky lingam around which a snake is coiled three and a
half times with its head facing upward.
Try to visualize this symbol to the best of your ability and associate it
with that particular location in the body.
Then proceed to swadhisthana chakra. The symbol is a six-petalled
vermilion lotus, within which is depicted a starry night above the sea. The
main focal point is the crescent moon.
Try to visualize this symbol.
Move to manipura chakra.
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It is symbolized by a ten-petalled yellow lotus, and in the center is a
blazing fire.
Visualize this symbol, imagining that the lotus is actually growing from
manipura chakra.
Proceed to anahata chakra, represented by a twelve-petalled blue
lotus.
In the center is a solitary flame burning in the darkness.
Try to visualize this symbol while feeling the exact position in the
body.
Move to vishuddhi chakra, symbolized by a sixteen-petalled purple
lotus.
In the middle there is a pure white drop of nectar. Visualize this
location in the body.
Then proceed to ajna chakra which is symbolized by a two-petalled
silver-grey lotus.
On the left hand petal is the full moon and on the right hand petal, a
glowing sun. In the center is a black lingarn and an Оm sign.
Create a mental image of this symbol and its exact location.
Move on to bindu. It is symbolized by a tiny white drop of nectar.
Visualize this symbol at the top back of the head. Finally, move to
sahasrara, the fountainhead of all the chakras.
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It is represented by a thousand-petalied lotus. In the center is a white
lingam.
Visualize this symbol at the crown of the head.
Now visualize all these symbols in the reverse order: sahasrara, bindu,
ajna, vishuddhi, anahata, manipura, swadhisthana and mooladhara.
This is the end of one round.
Spend a few seconds visualizing each center.
Do a few more rounds according to the amount of time available.
Stage 8: Eyebrow center awareness
Fix your attention at the eyebrow center.
Feel your pulse at this point.
Become aware of its continuous rhythmical beat.
Mentally synchronize repetition of the mantra Оm with this pulse.
Continue for a few minutes.
Stage 9: Sankalpa and close
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Repeat your sankalpa 3 times with full emphasis and feeling.
Become aware of your natural breath.
Become aware of your whole physical body.
Become aware of the outer sense perceptions.
Slowly begin to move your body.
When you are fully retuned to the external world, slowly sit up and
open your eyes.
Practice 5 : Unmani mudra
The word unmani means, 'no mind' or 'thoughtlessness', and refers to
the state which arises during meditation. Therefore, unmani mudra
means, 'the gesture of thoughtlessness'.
Unmani mudra is an excellent practice for developing awareness of the
chakras in the spine, from bindu down to mooladhara. lt is also an integral
part of many of the kriya yoga practices (nada, pawan and shabda
sanchalana, maha mudra and maha bheda mudra), and therefore it
should be mastered before attempting to learn and practise these
techniques.
Unmani mudra is easy to learn, but not so easy to perfect. The
technique is as follows:
Sit in any comfortable pose, with the back straight.
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Open the eyes wide, without focusing on anything external.
First of all, fix your awareness at bindu.
Breathe in deeply.
Then as you breathe out, imagine your breath going down the spine.
Simultaneously, let your awareness descend the spine, passing
through all the chakras : ajna, vishuddhi, atiahata, manipura,
swadhisthana, mooladhara, one after the other.
At the same time, the eyes should close slowly synchronized with the
breath and the descent of awareness.
Though your eyes are open during the practice, your attention should
be internalized on the chakras and breath; that is, the eyes are open, but
you are looking inside.
The eyes should have closed at the end of exhalation and by the time
your awareness reaches mooladhara chakra.
This is one round.
Breathe in and start the second round.
Do 11 rounds.
Note: While practising, you should not try too hard. Let it happen
spontaneously. The practice is more mental than physical. Though the
eyelids are slowly closed, the important thing is to feel the process
mentally, and when the eyes are open, you should not perceive anything
outside.
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Practice 6: Bija mantra sanchalana
The word bija means "seed", mantra means "mystic sound" and
sanchalana means "conduction". Therefore, this practice can be called "the
conduction of the seed sound". It is one of the techniques of kriya yoga,
but is not normally one of the twenty kriyas that we teach.
The practice is concerned with mentally repeating the bija mantra of
each kshetram and chakra, one after the other, whilst simultaneously
moving the awareness through each.
Psychic passages
In the following kriya, bija mantra sanchalana, as well as in a number
of practices of kriya yoga, you will be required to move your awareness
through two psychic passages called arohan and awarohan. The path of
these passages is as follows :
Arohan, the ascending passage, goes from mooladhara chakra,
forward to swadhisthana kshetram in the pubic area, then follows the
curve of the belly to manipura kshetram, upward to anahata kshetram
and vishuddhi kshetram in the front of the throat, then in a straight line to
bindu at the top back of the head.
There is also another pathway for the arohan psychic passage that has
been taught by tradition throughout the ages. On the ascent from
mooladhara, swadhisthana kshetram and onwards, the awareness is taken
from vishuddhi kshetram to lalana chakra in the palate, then to the
nosetip, to the eyebrow center, and following the curvature of the skull
through sahasrara at the top of the head, to bindu at the back of the
crown, where there is a little whorl of hair. In this book we will refer to the
arohan passage as connecting vishuddhi kshetram directly to bindu,
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however, you can experiment with both passages and use whichever one
suits you best.
Awarohan is the descending passage which starts at bindu, travels
forward to ajna chakra, then down through sushumna in the spine,
passing through all the chakras in turn to finally terminate at mooladhara.
In the following practice you will have to familiarize yourself with these
two psychic passages, and this will also be useful as a preparation for the
kundalini kriyas.
Bija mantras
The bija mantras for each kshetram and chakra are as follows:
mooladhara
lam
swadhisthana
vam
mianipura
ram
anahata
yam
vishuddhi
ham
ajna
оm
bindu
оm
Technique
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Sit in any comfortable position, preferably siddhasana.
Keep your back straight and eyes closed.
Throughout the practice there is no physical movement; the kriya is
done mentally.
Bring your attention to mooladhara chakra.
Repeat the mantra lam mentally, once, and try to feel the vibration at
mooladhara chakra.
Then ascend through arohan.
Let your attention jump to swadhisthana kshetram and repeat the
mantra vam, feeling the vibration at that point.
Jump to manipura kshetram and repeat the mantra ram.
At anahata kshetram, yam.
At vishuddhi kshetram, ham.
At bindu, Оm.
Then descend through awarohan.
Repeat Оm at ajna, in the center of the head.
Repeat ham at vishuddhi chakra in the spine.
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At anahata chakra, yam.
At manipura chakra, ram.
At swadhisthana, vam.
Then return to the starting point, mooladhara, and begin the next
round by repeating the mantra lam.
Your awareness should jump from one center to the next.
Do 9 rounds, or more if you have time.
Note: This is an excellent preparatory practice for kriya yoga sadhana.
You may also practise by spending some time (e.g. 5 minutes) at each
kshetram or chakra, chanting the mantra aloud on a low key and feeling it
vibrating at the chakra.
Practice 7: Drawing the chakras
Drawing of mandalas, such as the chakras, is an important part of
tantra. Many of the practices require that the correct mandalas be
constructed first of all. The creation of a chakra diagram should be done
with absolute awareness and concentration, and its measurements and
dimensions must be exact. You should try to ensure that you will be
undisturbed for at least an hour, and approach the exercise as you do
meditation. In some Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, mandalas are drawn
and painted as part of the daily sadhana, as is the practice in several
Greek Orthodox monasteries, where icons are painted in minute detail as
daily meditation.
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Make sure you have all the necessary materials; pencils, pens,
rubbers, ruler, compass, colors or paints, so that you will not have to
disturb your concentration once you have started. If you have a sadhana
room, then that is the best place to create your mandalas.A good size for
drawing the chakras on art paper is about 9" square, as this size is most
useful for visual display and concentration practices. Larger and smaller
sized chakras can be made for other purposes.
By first using only a black pen, one can plainly see the simple yet
subtle lines and formations, and discover the hidden symbology as it
becomes visually clearer in the mind. The next step is to color it,
according to the traditional colors described in the text. In this way,
mandalas of each of the seven chakras can be completed over seven or
more sessions.
This practice is very relaxing and enjoyable. You may like to create
more subjective and artistic impressions of the chakras, with your own
colors and symbols, as you come to understand them in a personal way.
This expands your awareness to the many possibilities of experiencing not
only the chakras, but life itself.
The chakras should not be interpreted on just one or two levels, but in
many dimensions. After drawing and painting the chakras successfully,
you can then take the next step and create the chakras in a threedimensional form. For this you can use any number of materials such as
clay, plasticine, wire, fiberglass, copper or stone.
You must remember, however, that the traditional drawings are as
subjective as your feelings and experiences of the chakra. Therefore, use
these experiences to express your deeper and inner spiritual aspects on
paper, in clay or stone. Through this you will find a clarity of vision arising
out of what once seemed a confused and blurred picture of life.
Practise
You will not have time to do all the practices given in this chapter.
Therefore we suggest that you practise the following for one month:
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Chakra meditation, chaturtha pranayama, chakra yoga nidra, immani
mudra and bija mantra sanchalana daily.
Musical chakra meditation and drawing the chakras, can be done if you
have the time and the inclination. They can be omitted without any
detriment to arousing kundalini.
Practices for each individual chakra can be done as follows:
ajna - shambhavi mudra
mooladhara - moola bandha and nasikagra mudra
swadhisthana - vajroli (or sahajoli)
manipura - uddiyana bandha
anahata - ajapa japa
vishuddhi - jalandhara bandha and vipareeta karani asana
bindu - yoni mudra.
Then after one month you can start to learn kriya yoga, having first of
all taken the advice of an experienced yoga teacher, or by writing to Bihar
School of Yoga, Munger, Bihar, India.
Chapter 12
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Your Sadhana Program
The practices of kundalini yoga must be adopted systematically. We
suggest that you practise and perfect the sadhana for each chakra for one
month or more, before moving on to the next chakra sadhana. In this
way, the sadhana will continue for eight months, as outlined below:
Month
1: Practices for ajna chakra
- Anuloma viloma pranayama
- Trataka
- Shambhavi mudra with Om chanting
2: Practices for mooladhara chakra
- Chakra location
- Moola bandha
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- Nasikagra drishti
3. Practices for swadhisthana chakra
- Chakra location
- Kshetram location
- Ashwini mudra
- Vajroli (or sahajoli) mudra
4: Practices for manipura chakra
- Chakra and kshetram location
- Manipura purification
- Agnisar kriya
- Uddiyana bandha
- Nauli
- Union of prana and apana
5: Practices for anahata chakra
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- Chakra and kshetram location
- Anahata purification
- Bhramari pranayama
- Ajapa japa
- Meditation - entering the heart space
6: Practices for vishuddhi chakra
- Jalandhara bandha
- Khechari mudra
- Ujjayi pranayama
- Chakra and kshetram location and purification
- Vipareeta karani asana
7: Practices for bindu visarga
- Moorchha pranayama
- Vajroli mudra with bindu awareness
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- Perception of subtle inner sound
- Yoni mudra
8: Practices for integrated chakra awareness
- Chakra meditation
- Musical chakra meditation
- Chaturtha pranayama
- Chakra yoga nidra
- Unmani mudra
- Bija rnantra sanchalana
- Drawing the chakras
Chapter 13
Kundalini Kriyas of Kriya Yoga
255
The following tantnc kriyas provide what is possibly the most efficient
method for systematically evolving man's consciousness that has ever
been developed. They are said to have been the teachings for the
transcendental sadhana which Lord Shiva gave to his disciple and wife,
Parvati.
By tradition, kriya yoga was never taught publicly. The kriyas were
always communicated verbally from guru to disciple. It is only in recent
years that these kriyas have been published in accordance with the needs
of this era.
These kriyas are rather advanced and too powerful for the average
aspirant. Before an aspirant takes up their practice, he should have a
thorough familiarity with and practical experience of all the preliminary
practices included in the book. Additionally, it is advisable that he takes up
these kriyas only under the guidance of a guru, who can see that the
aspirant is fully prepared for them and that any obstacles which arise
while the aspirant is practising, do not cause him harm in the way of
disease, mental imbalance or psychic dislocation.
If possible, try to make arrangements to come to an ashram for one
month for full initiation into the higher practices of kriya yoga.
Preparation
All the rules and regulations which were enumerated at the beginning of this practice
section also apply to all aspirants who wish to learn and practise kriya yoga. It is essential that
one has developed sensitivity to the positions of the chakras and kshetram by practising the
techniques given for the individual chakras (chapters 4 to 10), and also the techniques for
integrated chakra awareness (chapter 11). This sensitivity should be such that you can feel
them both physically and mentally.
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You should also know the position of the two psychic pathways known as arohan and
awarohan. They are explained in the practice called "Bija mantra sanchalana" in chapter 11.
The following techniques are integral parts of the 20 kriyas:
Name
vipareeta karani asana
Chapter
9
ujjayi pranayama
9
siddhasana (or siddha yoni asana)
2
unmani mudra
11
khechari mudra
9
ajapa japa
8
utthan padasana
2
shambhavi mudra
4
moola bandha
5
nasikagra drishti
5
uddiyana bandha
7
jalandhara bandha
9
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bhadrasana
2
padmasana
2
yoni mudra
10
vajroli mudra
6
These practices are all fully described in the chapters indicated and it is essential that you
master them. If you try to learn kriya yoga without first of all perfecting them, then you will
find the actual kriya techniques very difficult to follow and you will get very little benefit
from them.
Mode of learning the kriyas
It is not possible to learn all the kriyas at once. Therefore, we suggest that you learn each
kriya sequentially, spending at least one week mastering each kriya, and progressively adding
each new kriya to those already learned. That is, in the first week learn and master kriya no. 1
- vipareeta karani mudra. Then in the second week, learn kriya no. 2 - chakra anusandhana,
and do both no. 1 and 2 daily. In the third week, learn kriya no. 3 - nada sanchalana, and do it
daily, together with the previous two kriyas. In this way, all the kriyas can be systematically
and thoroughly learned in a period of twenty weeks. However, it may take many months of
regular practice before the kriyas are perfected.
Length of practice
As you progressively add more and more kriyas to your practice program, the time
required for daily practice will increase. Eventually, after mastering all the kriyas, your daily
practice of the 20 kriyas, with the required number of rounds, will take between 2 and 2 and a
half hours.
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If you can spare this amount of time every day, then you will get maximum benefit.
However, most people, no matter how sincere, will not be able to devote this length of time to
their practice. Therefore, for those who wish to practise kriya yoga, but have less spare time,
we suggest that you reduce the number of rounds per kriya as follows:
Kriya technique
Full
Reduced
1. vipareeta karani mudra
21
2. chakra anusandhana
9
3. nada sanchalana
13
5
4. pawan sanchalana
49
11
11
9
5. shabda sanchalana
59
11
6. maha mudra
12
6
7. maha bheda mudra
12
6
8. manduki kriya
9. tadan kriya
1-3 min.
7
1-3min.
7
10. naumukhi mudra
5
5
11. shakti chalini
5
5
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12. shambhavi
11
5
13. amrit pan
9
9
59
11
-
-
14. chakra bhedan
15. sushumna darshan
16. prana ahuti
17. utthan
1 min.
1 min.
2-3 min.
2-3 min.
18. swaroopa darshan
2-3 min.
2-3 min.
19. linga sanchalana
2-3 min.
2-3 min.
20. dhyana
-
-
This daily program containing all the kriyas, with a reduced number of rounds, will take a
total of about 1 to 1 and a half hours. The benefits may be slightly less than when you do the
complete number of rounds per kriya, but still you will reap much fruit from your practice.
While learning each kriya, you should do the full number of rounds, but this can be
reduced as you integrate the next kriya.
Hints on practice
The following suggestions will help you to master the kriyas and gain maximum benefit:
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1. Do not strain physically or mentally under any circumstances, or you may experience
negative side-effects. This applies particularly in the case of kriyas such as maha mudra, maha
bheda mudra, tadan kriya, naumukhi and shakti chalini. Regular daily practice will gradually
bring such changes into the mind and body, that after some time, you will be able to practise
the kriyas almost effortlessly.
2. Do not hold your breath for longer than is comfortable. In many of the kriyas, such as
maha mudra and maha bheda mudra, most people will initially find difficulty in completing a
full round in one respiration cycle without strain or suffocation. In the beginning, it may be
necessary to break in the middle of each round, or to take a short rest at the end of each round
and take a few normal breaths. As you develop the capacity to hold the breath for longer
periods, and to control inhalation and exhalation, this concession may be disregarded.
3. After long inner breath retentions, it is best to breathe in slightly before breathing out. In
many of the kriyas, such as maha mudra, maha bheda mudra, naumukhi and shakti chalini,
where the breath is held inside for prolonged periods, there is a tendency for the lungs to lock.
The best way to overcome this problem and release the lungs, is to breathe in slightly before
breathing out. This will make the kriyas much easier to do.
4. While learning each kriya, check that you are doing all the steps and that they are being
done correctly.
Chapter 14
The Kriya Yoga Practices
261
By tradition there are a total of 76 kundalini kriyas of kriya yoga. We
present the following 20 main practices, which are sufficient for the daily
practice of any sincere sadhaka.
The practices are divided into three groups: those which induce
pratyahara, those which induce dharana, and those which induce dhyana.
It should be noted that these three states are actually a continuity of
evolution, that is, the consciousness flows from one to the next without
any apparent dividing point - so these practices should be done in an
unbroken sequence. Of course, from the first day, the practice of these
kriyas will not necessarily lead to such exalted states of awareness, but if
they are practised properly with correct guidance, by an aspirant who is
ready for them, then most likely, one day they will. It will be at that stage
that the constant, unbroken progression of awareness will become
essential. Remember, you should learn one kriya per week.
PRATYAHARA PRACTICES
№ 1: Vipareeta karani mudra (the attitude of inversion)
Assume vipareeta karani asana (described in chapter 9).
The chin should not touch the chest.
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Kriya №1 Vipareeta Karani Mudra
Practise subtle ujjayi pranayama.
Be sure that your legs are completely vertical.
Close your eyes.
Inhale with ujjayi and simultaneously feel a hot stream of amrit or nectar flowing through
the spinal passage from manipura chakra to vishuddhi in the throat.
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The nectar will collect at vishuddhi.
Retain the breath for a few seconds, and be aware of the nectar remaining at vishuddhi and
becoming cool.
Then exhale with ujjayi, sensing the nectar travelling from vishuddhi through ajna, bindu
and to sahasrara.
The sensation is that of the nectar being injected with the help of the breath.
After exhalation, immediately return your awareness to manipura and repeat the kriya to
bring more nectar down to vishuddhi, and finally to sahasrara.
Practise 21 respirations or rounds.
№ 2: Chakra anusandhana (the discovery of the chakras)
Assume siddhasana/siddha yoni asana or padmasana.
Close the eyes.
Breathe normally.
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There is no connection between the breath and the consciousness in this practice.
Bring your awareness to mooladhara chakra.
Your consciousness will slowly ascend the frontal passage of arohan from mooladhara to
the frontal point of swadhisthana at the pubic bone, manipura at the navel, anahata at the
sternum, vishuddhi at the throat and across to bindu at the top, back of the head.
As you travel upward, mentally repeat "mooladhara, swadhisthana, manipura, anahata,
vishuddhi, bindu", as you pass through these centers.
Then let your awareness slip down the spinal awarohan passage from bindu to
mooladhara, mentally repeating "ajna, vishuddhi, anahata, manipura, swadhisthana,
mooladhara" as you pass through these centers.
From mooladhara, immediately start ascending in the frontal passage as before, mentally
reciting the chakra names as you ascend, starting with swadhisthana.
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Kriya №2 Chakra anusadhana
Continue this rotation of awareness through the chakras in a constant flow of rounds.
Do not make a serious, tensed effort to locate the chakras as you pass through them.
Merely glance at them as you go by, as you would view the scenery from a fast moving
train.
If you wish, you can visualize your awareness in this kriya as a thin silver serpent
travelling in an ellipse within your body.
Practise 9 rounds.
№ 3: Nada sanchalana (conducting the sound consciousness)
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Sit in siddhasana/siddha yoni asana or padmasana.
Exhale completely.
Keep your eyes open.
Bend your head forward, so that it drops downward in a relaxed manner.
The chin should not press tightly on the chest.
Bring your awareness to mooladhara chakra.
Repeat mentally, "mooladhara, mooladhara, mooladhara".
Then as you inhale, your consciousness should rise up through the frontal passage of
arohan to bindu.
Have a clear awareness of swadhisthana, manipura, anahata and vishuddhi, as you pass by
them on your way to bindu, and mentally repeat their names.
As your awareness is travelling from vishuddhi to bindu during the last segment of your
inhalation, your head will slowly rise and tilt back slightly into a position facing about 20°
above the horizontal.
With the breath stored inside you and the awareness at bindu, mentally repeat, "bindu,
bindu, bindu."
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The power of the awareness will build up as you are repeating the word "bindu" and it will
explode into the vocal chant of 0m, which will carry you down through the spinal passage of
awarohan to mooladhara.
The "O" sound of Оm will be explosive and sudden.
The "m" sound will be long and drawn out, culminating almost in a buzz as you approach
mooladhara.
As your awareness descends in the spine, your eyes will gradually close in unmani mudra.
As you descend through the awarohan passage with the Оm sound, you should also be
aware of ajna, vishuddhi, anahata, manipura and swadhisthana chakras; no mental repetition.
When you have reached mooladhara, drop your head forward and open your eyes.
Mentally repeat, "mooladhara, mooladhara, mooladhara", with the breath retained outside
and start on the ascent as before, with inhalation and repetition of the chakra names as you
pass through them.
Practise 13 full rounds or breaths and end after the last "mooladhara, mooladhara,
mooladhara."
№ 4: Pawan sanchalana (conducting the breath consciousness)
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Sit in padmasana, siddhasana or siddha yoni asana, and keep your eyes closed.
Practise khechari mudra throughout this kriya. Exhale completely and bend your head
forward as in nada sanchalana.
Become aware of mooladhara and repeat mentally, 'mooladhara, mooladhara, mooladhara'.
Then mentally say 'arohan' once and begin your ascent through the frontal passage with a
subtle ujjayi inhalation.
As you ascend, be aware of the chakras as you pass through them and repeat their names
mentally.
As your awareness moves from vishuddhi to bindu, your head should slowly rise until it
leans slightly backward as in nada sanchalana.
At bindu mentally repeat, "bindu, bindu, bindu".
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Then say "awarohan" mentally and descend through the spinal passage with ujjayi
exhalation, mentally reciting the name of each chakra as you pass through it.
As you descend, your eyes will close very gradually to form unmani mudra, the attitude of
drowsiness.
At mooladhara they will be closed.
Then open your eyes and bend your head forward.
Repeat mentally "mooladhara,mooladhara, mooladhara".
Again begin your ascent with ujjayi inhalation, as before.
Practise 49 rounds or complete breaths.
After the last "mooladhara, mooladhara, mooladhara", open your eyes and end the
practice.
No. 5: Shabda sanchalana (conducting the word consciousness)
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Sit in siddhasana, siddha yoni asana or padmasana. Keep your eyes open and practise
khechari mudra throughout the kriya.
Exhale completely, bend your head forward and become aware of mooladhara chakra for a
few seconds.
Inhale with ujjayi and ascend the frontal passage.
As you ascend, be aware of the sound of the breath which takes the form of the mantra so.
Simultaneously, be aware of each kshetram, without mental repetition.
As you travel from vishuddhi to bindu, the head will move upward as in pawan sanchalana
and nada sanchalana.
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Then, with the breath retained inside, be aware of bindu for a few seconds.
Then descend the spinal passage doing unmani mudra and being simultaneously aware of
the natural sound of exhalation and the mantra ham.
Be aware of each chakra without repetition of its name.
After reaching mooladhara, open the eyes and lower your head.
Begin your ujjayi inhalation, rising through the frontal passage with the inhalation mantra
of so.
Continue in this manner for 59 full rounds or breaths.
No. 6: Maha mudra (the great attitude)
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This kriya can either be practised in perfect siddhasana or siddha yoni asana,or in the
asana known as utthan padasana. If maha mudra is to be practisedin siddhasana, then it should
be done as follows:
Sit in siddhasana or siddha yoni asana, with the heel of the lower foot pressing firmly in
towards mooladhara chakra.
Practise khechari mudra, exhale completely and bend your head forward.
Keep your eyes open.
Repeat mentally, "mooladhara, mooladhara, mooladhara".
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Ascend through the frontal passage with ujjayi inhalation, being aware of the kshetram as
you pass through them.
Raise your head as you are crossing from vishuddhi to bindu.
At bindu repeat mentally, "bindu, bindu, bindu".
Practise moola bandha and shambhavi mudra with the breath still retained inside.
Say to yourself mentally, "shambhavi - khechari - mool", while at the same time shifting
your awareness to the center of these practices.
When you say "shambhavi", your awareness should be fixed at the eyebrow center.
When you say "khechari", your awareness should be fixed at the tongue and roof of the
mouth.
When you say "mool", your awareness should be fixed at mooladhara chakra.
Beginners should repeat this shifting of awareness 3 times. Advanced aspirants can rotate
their awareness up to 12 times.
Then, first release shambhavi mudra, then moola bandha.
Bring your awareness back to bindu and travel down your spinal passage to mooladhara,
with ujjayi exhalation and unmani mudra, and be aware of the chakras as you pass through
them.
On reaching mooladhara, bend your head forward.
Then repeat "mooladhara, mooladhara, mooladhara" and ascend thefrontal passage with
ujjayi inhalation, as before.
Practise 12 rounds or breaths and end after the last "mooladhara, mooladhara,
mooladhara".
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Alternative practice in utthan padasana
When practising maha mudra in utthan padasana, a slight change must be made in the
technique.
After ascending to bindu, repeat "bindu, bindu, bindu".
Lean forward and hold the big toe of your extended foot with the fingers of both hands, to
form utthan padasana.
The stretched knee must not bend.
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Now practise moola bandha and shambhavi mudra.
Repeat, "shambhavi - khechari - mool" from 3 to 12 times, passing your awareness to the
seats of these practices as you repeat their names.
Release shambhavi, then moola bandha, then utthan padasana, and place your hands back
on your knee.
Bring your consciousness back to bindu, and then descend the spinal passage with the
ujjayi exhalation and unmani mudra.
If maha mudra is practised with utthan padasana, then practise 4 rounds with the right leg
stretched forward, 4 rounds with the left leg stretched forward, and 4 rounds with both legs
stretched forward.
Choice of method: Both alternatives are equally good, as both apply a firm and constant
pressure at rnooladhara.
If you can easily sit in siddhasana, then the best method is the first one described. If you
cannot sit comfortably in siddhasana, then use the alternative. It is easy to become sleepy
while doing kriya yoga and this alternative has an added advantage of helping to remove
sleepiness.
Note: You can also mentally repeat the names of the chakras and kshetram as you ascend
and descend arohan and awarohan.
No. 7: Maha bheda mudra (the great piercing attitude)
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This mudra can either be practised in perfect siddhasana, siddha yoni asana, or in utthan
padasana, as with maha mudra. If practised in siddhasana or siddha yoni asana, the technique
is as follows:
Practise khechari mudra and keep your eyes open and head down.
Exhale completely.
Repeat mentally, "mooladhara, mooladhara, mooladhara".
Inhale with ujjayi as you ascend the frontal passage to bindu.
As you ascend from vishuddhi to bindu, raise your head.
Repeat mentally, "bindu, bindu, bindu", and then descend the spinal passage to
mooladhara with ujjayi exhalation and unmani mudra.
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Be sure to notice the chakras as you pass through them.
Then practise jalandhara bandha with the breath retained outside.
Practise moola bandha, uddiyana bandha and nasikagra drishti.
Repeat mentally, "nasikagra-uddiyana-mool", while simultaneously placing your
awareness at the seats of these practices in turn.
Repeat this cycle of awareness 3 times if you are a beginner, or up to 12 times if you are
experienced.
Then release nasikagra drishti, moola bandha, uddiyana bandha and jalandhara bandha, but
keep the head down.
Bring your awareness back to mooladhara. Repeat the mantra "mooladhara, mooladhara,
mooladhara", mentally.
Then with ujjayi inhalation, ascend the frontal passage to bindu for the next round.
Practise 12 full rounds or breaths.
Alternative method in utthan padasana
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If maha mudra is practised in utthan padasana, then it must be done as follows:
Place your hands on your bent knee, exhale completely and bend your head forward, eyes
open.
Repeat mentally, "mooladhara, mooladhara, mooladhara".
Inhale with ujjayi through the frontal passage from mooladhara to bindu, raising your head
while moving from vishuddhi to bindu.
Repeat "bindu, bindu, bindu", and then exhale with ujjayi through the spinal passage,
doing unmani mudra and being aware of the chakras en route.
Hold the breath outside and bend forward to grasp the big toe of your extended foot to
form utthan padasana.
Press your chin against the chest to form jalandhara bandha.
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Practise moola bandha, uddiyana bandha and nasikagra drishti while still retaining the
breath outside.
Repeat mentally, "nasikagra - uddiyana - mool", while simultaneously placing your
awareness at the seats of these practices in turn.
Repeat this cycle of awareness 3 times if you are a beginner, or up to 12 times if you are
experienced.
Then release nasikagra drishti, moola bandha and uddiyana bandha.
Bring your hands to your knees and sit up straight. Release jalandhara but keep your head
bent down.
Bring your awareness back to mooladhara.
Repeat the mantra "mooladhara, mooladhara, mooladhara", and then ascend the frontal
passage with ujjayi inhalation.
Practise in this way for 4 full rounds or breaths with your right leg extended, then practise
4 times with the left leg extended, and finally 4 times with both legs extended.
After the fourth time in each position, ascend once to bindu with ujjayi inhalation. Repeat
the bindu mantra, descend to mooladhara and repeat its mantra, relax and then change legs.
Note: The rotation of awareness through nasikagra, uddiyana and mool is done with
outside retention of the breath at mooladhara. You are advised to practise only 3 rotations at
first, slowly increasing one rotation per week until you can complete 12 rotations.
* Make sure that all the bandhas are performed correctly and in the right sequence. At first
you will have to pay special attention to this, but with regular practice the bandhas will lock
and tighten automatically, without effort and at the right stages of the kriya.
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* Nosetip gazing helps to tighten the lock of the bandhas. Make sure that nasikagra drishti
and the bandhas are practised simultaneously and that you do not omit any of them while
rotating awareness through the centers. Do not strain.
* If you are feeling pain or discomfort in the eyes, stop nasikagra drishti but continue the
bandhas and rotation of awareness. Slowly increase the duration of nasikagra as the eye
muscles adapt to the practice.
* You can repeat the "mooladhara" mantra 3 times before applying the bandhas as well as
repeating 'mooladhara' з times at the beginning of a new round.
* Also, the names of the chakras and kshetram can be mentally repeated as you ascend and
descend arohan and awarohan.
No. 8: Manduki kriya (the frog attitude)
Sit in bhadrasana, the gentleman's pose.
Your eyes should remain open.
The area of your body below mooiadhara chakra must touch the ground. If it doesn't, then
use a cushion to exert pressure on this point.
Place your hands on your knees and practise nasikagra drishti.
Become aware of your natural breath flowing in and out of your nostrils.
With inhalation the breath flows through both nostrils and merges at the eyebrow center.
As you exhale the two flows diverge from the eyebrow center and move out through both
nostrils.
The breath follows a conical or inverted V-shaped pathway. Feel this.
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Simultaneously, be aware of all smells.
The point of this kriya is to smell the aroma of the astral body which has a scent like that
of sandalwood.
If your eyes become tired, close them for some time and then resume nasikagra drishti.
Practise this kriya until it becomes intoxicating.
Do not carry it so far that you become totally absorbed in it and do not wish to end the
practice.
No. 9: Tadan kriya
(beating the kundalini)
Sit in padmasana
with the eyes open.
Place your palms on
the floor at the sides of
your body, next to your
hips, with the fingers
pointing forward.
Tilt your head
slightly backward and
practise shambhavi
mudra.
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Inhale through your mouth in audible ujjayi pranayama.
As you inhale, feel the breath travelling downward through a tube connecting the mouth to
mooiadhara chakra.
The breath will collect at mooladhara chakra.
Hold the breath, keep your awareness at mooladhara and practise moola bandha.
Using your hands, lift your body off the ground.
Then drop your body lightly so that mooladhara is gently beaten.
Repeat this beating a few times.
Do not practise this quickly or harshly.
After the third beating, exhale gently through the nose with ujjayi pranayama.
The breath will seem to diffuse in all directions from its storehouse at mooladhara.
Practise this kriya a total of 7 times.
The number of beatings practised per round can be gradually increased from 3 to a
maximum of 11.
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DHARANA PRACTICES
No. 10: Naumukhi mudra (closing the nine gates)
Sit in siddhasana, siddha
yoni asana or padmasana.
Your eyes should remain
closed throughout.
If necessary, use a cushion
to ensure that mooladhara is
compressed.
Do khechari mudra and
bend your head slightly
forward (not jaiandhara
bandha).
Repeat mentally,
"mooladhara, mooladhara,
mooladhara".
Then inhale with ujjayi up
the frontal passage to bindu.
Raise your head as you pass from vishuddhi to bindu, practise yoni mudra by closing your
ears with the thumbs, the eyes with both forefingers, the nostrils with your middle fingers, the
upper lip with the ring fingers and your lower lip with the small fingers (do not apply too
much pressure).
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Practise moola bandha and vajroli mudra.
The nine gates of the body are now closed (eyes, cars, nostrils, mouth, anus and sexual
organ).
Become aware of the spinal passage and bindu.
Now visualize a shining copper trident (trishul), rooted in mooladhara with its stem in the
spinal cord and the prongs extending upward from vishuddhi.
The prongs are very sharp.
The trishul will slightly rise a number of times of its own accord and it will pierce bindu
with its central prong.
As it pierces bindu, repeat the mantra 'bindu bhedan', which means 'bindu piercing'.
After some times release vajroli mudra and moola bandha.
Open the upper gates and bring your hands down to your knees.
Exhale with ujjayi through the spinal passage from bindu to mooladhara.
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Mentally repeat "mooladhara" 3 times.
Then inhale through the frontal passage up to bindu to repeat the kriya.
Practise 5 full rounds or breaths, and after the fifth round, end the practice after exhalation.
Note: It is extremely important that the back be held perfectly straight throughout this
kriya. If the spine is not straight, the sensation that follows the piercing of bindu will not be
perceived.
* It is important that vajroli mudra be correctly performed for it also heightens the
sensations experienced during this practice. When vajroli mudra is perfected, the contraction
of vajra nadi can be achieved without contracting the anal sphincter muscles. The sensation is
like an electric current running the full length of vajra nadi to the brain. Try to sensitize your
awareness to the point where you actually feel the piercing of bindu like an electric shock.
* As you ascend and descend arohan and awarohan, you can mentally repeat the names of
the chakras and kshetram if you want.
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No. 11: Shakti chalini (conduction of the thought force)
Sit in siddhasana, siddha yoni asana or padmasana.
Your eyes should remain closed throughout.
Practise khechari mudra.
Exhale completely and bring your awareness to mooladhara.
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Bend your head forward.
Repeat mentally, "mooladhara, mooladhara, mooladhara", and then ascend the frontal
passage to bindu with ujjayi inhalation, raising your head as you approach bindu.
Retain the breath inside, and then practise yoni mudra, closing your ears, eyes, nostrils and
lips with the fingers.
Allow your consciousness to rotate in a continuous cycle, descending the spinal passage to
mooladhara and rising up the frontal passage to bindu in an unbroken loop, while you keep
the breath retained inside.
Visualize a thin green snake moving through the psychic passageways.
The tail of this serpent is at bindu, and the body extends down through mooladhara and up
the frontal passage.
The head is also at bindu, with the mouth biting the end of the tail.
If you watch this snake, it will start to move in a circle in the psychic passages, or it may
even go off this track and follow a new one of its own.
Just watch this snake, whatever it does.
When your retention of breath is becoming exhausted, release yoni mudra, return your
hands to the knees and bring your awareness to bindu. Then descend to mooladhara through
the spinal passage with ujjayi exhalation. At mooladhara., lower your head, repeat
'mooladhara' 3 times, and ascend the frontal passage.
Practise this kriya 5 times without a break, or for the duration of 5 breaths.
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Note: Vajroli mudra and moola bandha can also be simultaneously performed with yoni
mudra.
No. 12: Shambhavi (Parvati's lotus)
Sit in siddhasana, siddha yoni asana or padmasana.
Close your eyes and practise khechari mudra.
Visualize a lotus flower with a long thin stem extending downward.
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The roots of the lotus are white or transparent green.
They spread out from mooladhara chakra.
The thin green lotus stem is in your spinal passage.
The lotus flower is at sahasrara, and it is closed like a bud.
At the bottom of the bud are a few light green immature petals. The main petals of the
flower are pink with fine red veins.
Try to see this lotus clearly. You visualize it in chidakasha, but you feel it in your body.
Exhale and take your awareness to the root of the lotus at mooladhara.
Inhale with ujjayi pranayama and allow your awareness to rise slowly through the center
of the lotus stem, within the spinal passage.
At the end of inhalation, you will reach the closed bud at the top of the stem.
Your ascent will be like that of a caterpillar, climbing up inside the thin stem.
Hold your awareness at sahasrara with the breath retained inside.
You are inside the lotus, but you can also see it from outside.
It will begin to open very slowly.
As the bud opens out into a beautiful lotus flower, you will see the yellow pollen-tipped
stamens in its center.
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Then it will slowly close again, to open again almost immediately.
After the lotus has ceased to open and close, and it remains sealed, then slowly descend
through the stem to mooladhara, drifting down on the wave of your ujjayi exhalation.
Remain at mooladhara for a few seconds, visualizing the roots spreading out in all
directions.
Then once again, ascend the stem with ujjayi inhalation.
Ascend and descend 11 times and then end this kriya.
No. 13: Amrit pan (the quaffing of nectar)
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Sit in siddhasana, siddha yoni asana or padmasana.
Keep the eyes closed throughout and practise khechari mudra.
Bring your awareness to manipura chakra, where there is a storehouse of a warm, sweet
liquid.
Exhale fully with ujjayi.
Inhale with ujjayi, drawing a quantity of this liquid up to vishuddhi chakra through the
spinal passage with the suction power of your breath.
Remain at vishuddhi for some seconds.
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The nectar which you have raised from manipura will become icy cold at vishuddhi.
Then with ujjayi, exhale up to lalana chakra (at the back of the soft palate), through the
nectar passage.
Blow the cool nectar up to lalana with the breath.
Your breath will immediately disperse by itself once you have reached lalana.
Immediately return your awareness to manipura chakra.
With another ujjayi inhalation, continue the upward transfer of liquid.
Practise 9 times in all.
No. 14 Chakra bhedan (piercing the chakras)
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Assume siddhasana, siddha yoni asana or padmasana.
Keep your eyes closed throughout.
Practise khechari mudra and ujjayi pranayama.
Breathe without any break between inhalation and exhalation.
Exhale and bring your awareness down to swadhisthana chakra at the base of the spine.
Inhale and direct your consciousness first to mooladhara and then up the frontal passage.
At about the level of vishuddhi kshetram, the breath will run out and you will immediately
start exhalation.
Exhale from vishuddhi kshetram to bindu and then down the spine from ajna to
swadhisthana chakra to complete one round.
This kriya should actually be practised for 59 rounds, but if introversion starts to occur
before you have completed the rounds, discontinue the practice and go on to the next kriya.
Note: If desired, mental repetition of chakras and kshetram can also be done.
No. 15: Sushumna darshan (inner visualization of the chakras)
For chakra visualization, refer to the diagrams of each chakra.
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Sit in siddhasana, siddha yoni asana or padmasana.
Close your eyes and practise normal breathing.
There is no relation between the breath and awareness in this kriya.
Bring your awareness to mooladhara.
Imagine a pencil, and with that draw a square at mooladhara.
Draw the largest possible inverted equilateral triangle within that square.
Then make a circle touching all the four corners of that square.
Prepare 4 petals, one for each side of the square.
Bring your awareness to swadhisthana.
Prepare a circle there with the same radius as the one at mooladhara.
Draw 6 petals around the edge of the circle, and a crescent moon inside the bottom of the
circle.
Now come to manipura.
Draw a circle, and then make the biggest possible inverted triangle to fit this circle.
In the center draw a ball of fire.
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Make 10 petals around the circle.
Raise the consciousness to anahata.
Draw 2 triangles there, one pointing upward and the other inverted. They are interlaced,
both crossing each other.
Surround them with a circle having 12 petals.
Then come to vishuddhi.
Draw a circle, and place a smaller circle within the circle, like a drop of nectar.
Make 16 petals around that circle.
Rise to ajna.
Make a circle and inside it write a big Sanskrit Om.
Prepare 2 large petals, one on the right and one on the left side of the circle.
At bindu draw a crescent moon with a very tiny circle above it.
Reach sahasrara.
Prepare a circle there, and make the largest possible upward pointing triangle within that
circle.
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There are 1000 petals all around the circle.
Try to see at one glance all the chakras in their proper places.
If it is very difficult to see them all together, then see only 2 chakras on the first day and
add one more chakra to your visualization daily until all appear together.
No. 16: Prana ahuti (infusing the divine prana)
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Sit in siddhasana, siddha yoni asana or padmasana.
Close your eyes and breathe normally.
Feel the soft touch of a divine hand lying on your head.
The hand is infusing subtle prana into your body and mind and the prana is travelling
down from sahasrara through the spinal passage.
You may experience it as a wave of cold, heat, energy, electric current, or as a stream of
wind or liquid.
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Its passage will result in vibrations, shocks, jerks or tickling sensations which course
through you.
When the prana has reached mooladhara, then immediately go on to the next kriya without
waiting to experience the prana a second time.
No. 17: Utthan (raising the kundalini)
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Sit in siddhasana, siddha yoni asana or padmasana.
Keep your eyes closed throughout.
Again the breathing is normal in this kriya.
Bring your awareness to mooladhara chakra.
Try to visualize it clearly and notice all details.
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You will see a black shivalingam made of a smoky gaseous substance.
The bottom and the top of the lingam are cut off, and circled around it is a red baby snake.
This red baby snake is trying to uncoil itself so it can move upward through sushurnna.
As it struggles to release itself and ascends, it makes an angry hissing sound.
The tail of the snake will remain fixed at the bottom of the shivalingam, but the head and
body may move upward and come back down again.
Sometimes both the shivalingam and the snake may shift their position in the body, so you
may even visualize them for a time at ajna or sahasrara.
The head of the snake is very wide, having the same breadth as your body, but it is not a
cobra.
After some time you may feel your body contract. This will be followed by a sensation of
bliss.
When this occurs go on to the next kriya.
No. 18: Swaroopa darshan (the vision of your Self)
Remain sitting in siddhasana, siddha yoni asana or padmasana and do not open your eyes.
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Become aware of your physical body.
Your body is completely motionless, and you maintain total awareness of this fact.
Be sure that you are completely steady, like a rock.
When you are absolutely sure of your bodily steadiness, you should also become aware of
your natural breath. Watch the constant flow of your breath, but be sure your body remains
steady.
Your body will start to become stiff.
As it becomes stiffer, your awareness will shift completely to your breathing; however, the
body will continue to become stiffer and stiffer of its own accord.
When your body has become as rigid as a stone, and it is beyond your control to move it
even if you tried, then go on to the next kriya.
No.19: Linga sanchalana (astral conduction)
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Remain still in your stiffened asana with the eyes closed.
Due to the stiffness of your body, your breathing will have automatically become ujjayi
breathing, and khechari mudra will have been formed.
Be totally aware of your breathing.
You will notice that with each inhalation your body seems to be expanding.
And with each exhalation your body appears to be contracting.
It is peculiar though, because your physical body is not moving; it is still and as stiff as a
statue.
It is your astral body that you experience expanding and contracting.
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As you observe this contraction and expansion process, it will gradually become more and
more pronounced.
After some time you will begin to lose awareness of the physical body, and you will only
be observing the astral body directly.
However, the degree of contraction will become more pronounced.
Eventually you will reach a stage where, on contraction, the astral body reduces to a single
point of light.
When this occurs, discontinue the kriya immediately and go on to the next.
THE PRACTICE OF DHYANA
No. 20: Dhyana (meditation)
You have realized your astral body as a single point of light.
Now look closer at that point of light and you will see it take the form of a golden egg.
As you watch this golden egg, it will begin to expand.
The golden egg is luminous and glowing intensely; however, it does not give off any rays
of light.
As the golden egg becomes larger, it will begin to take on the same shape as that of your
astral and physical bodies.
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This form, however, is not a material or even a subtle form.
This form is glowing light.
It is your causal self.
Section 4 - KUNDALINI RESEARCH
Compiled by: Swami Shankardevananda Saraswati MB, BS (Syd)
Chapter 1
Introduction
This section is a compilation of various pieces of research that have
been collected and correlated at the IYFM Research Coordinating Center at
Munger, Bihar, India. Over the last few years, under the guidance of our
guru, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, we have seen time and again that the
words and teachings of many of the yogis, saints and sages from all ages
have been recently verified by modern science. It has been our function to
fit together the bits and pieces of researches and to point out:
1. the overlap between what modern science and yogis have been
saying,
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2. how the various pieces fit together to give us an expanded concept
of man,
3. what directions research can take in order to design and analyze
research in the light of yogic psychophysiology.
One of the great traps in attempting to research yoga is to design
experiments without a thorough knowledge of yoga itself. This is like
looking at only a small part of the whole, just as the six blind "wise" men
who each examined a different part of an elephant and pronounced their
judgements based on these limitations, could never understand the whole
elephant and how it looked. Yogic training requires many years and the
skilled guidance of a master to discover its basic principles, its mode of application, and to
prepare oneself for the experiences which arise from this training.
The totality of man
Perhaps the outstanding feature of yoga is its ability to give us a more total picture of who
we are, to put the various elements into a simpler and at the same time more sophisticated and
more expanded perspective. Yoga also teaches us that within us all there is a vital power, a
basic essence, whose thread can be seen running through all of life, unmeasurable by even the
most sophisticated machines, but palpable and motivating our living, breathing, thinking,
body and mind. We can see its effects and measure the various forms and changes of this
subtle energy as it enters and interacts with the physical domain, in the nerves, in the chemical
and intracellular processes and in the flows and pressures of the body. However, the energy
itself is still undefined scientifically.
Through yogic sadhana we can experience the subtle energy which underlies all matter,
called prana or kundalini. This is a transformative experience which makes the subtle more
tangible and real than the material and so-called solid, physical universe. It shifts our
perspective, broadens our awareness and awakens our consciousness, our higher and greater
self. It awakens us to the fact that within us is an immortal and eternal essence, full of
knowledge, bliss and truth.
The very fact that such an experience exists alters our direction and purpose. We see that
we are here not only for sensual and mundane satisfaction, but for a higher and greater
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destiny. This ultimate goal of yoga must always be remembered when we are researching
yoga, for we know that yoga can give us relaxation, alter our brain waves and hormonal
secretions, endow us with health, induce concentration and better memory, help us to develop
better human interrelationships and to enjoy everything we do, to have fun and fulfil ourselves
in a balanced healthy way. However, we must see that these things, though they are all worthy
and good in themselves, are not the ultimate goal of yoga, but are side-effects of our pursuit of
higher awareness and deeper knowJedge of the truth of our existence. To pursue these things
in themselves is another trap, a trick of the mind. For they do not exist by themselves but are
the outcome of a complete process of living. The yogic process of total development of body,
mind and spirit, ida, pingala and sushumna, is the most systematic way to attain these things
and more.
Yoga is not a science of healing and does not need to look into the negative side of
existence. The teachings tell us to practise and emphasize the good, positive and healthy in us
and automatically we will be healthy and happy. There is nothing difficult to understand in
this. If we emphasize exercise, moderation, good lifestyle, relaxation, meditation and selfdiscipline, then we are sure to achieve something worthwhile in life. Research into relaxation,
meditation, asana and pranayama, continue to demonstrate that yoga exerts real changes in the
body and mind, that it can only be a worthwhile addition to our lives if performed under
guidance and done correctly. However, we must remember that it is much more than that, and
that all our achievements are ultimately, and in the last analysis, useless if we do not
transform the quality of our awareness.
Yoga tells us to awaken our minds, to develop the energy within ourselves so that we can
attain a much greater, fuller and more total existence. Evidence is piling up to show that there
is a psychic side to our lives, that the mental and intangible is far from imaginary, but is
powered by an energy, a subtle force which can be tapped and developed and which can
totally change and transform the more physical side of our lives. There is also evidence that
awareness and consciousness can be independent from the body and this is coming from
studies into physics and the nature of energy in our universe.
Purpose of this section
In this section we arc more concerned with delineating the research into energy than into
consciousness. We are concerned with the research into kundalini rather than with the
awareness side of things. We must take it for granted that awareness exists. Research into the
energy side of yoga shows us that there is a physically based energy in the body which also
has a psychic dimension. This fits the yogic description of prana, whose ultimate and
maximum form is that of kundalini.
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Many times we have been amazed to hear the stories of yogis and saints and have been
awed by reading the ancient and universal teachings of yoga, to realize that they are
applicable even today. Often we have wondered how yogis developed this science in the first
place. Obviously it has come from a profound and unusual experience, beyond the capacity of
normal man to achieve or even understand without yoga practice.
Swamiji is one of those who has reached transcendental heights and come back to tell us
about kundalini in scientific terms. Many times Swamiji has spoken about the kundalini
phenomenon and has laid down the fundamentals of kundalini yoga in a succinct, precise,
profound and yet easily understandable and systematic manner, as has been done in this book.
In the past few years he has told us many things about the functions of the body, for example,
that the right nostril connects to the left brain, and the left nostril to the right brain, which
have been beyond our understanding at first and which have only recently, in 1983, been
verified by researchers at the Salk Institute in America (see chapter entitled "Controlling the
Nadis and the Brain"). Through his own internal experiences he has seen that most of us do
net use our potential and that within the brain there are unused areas of potential energy,
psychic awareness and total knowledge. It is actually possible to experience the brain from
inside. The source is within us, however, we have not connected the various centers and
circuits to the main switches and the main generator. The way to do this, Swamiji tells us, is
through kundalini yoga.
Often Swamiji has referred to the works of researchers as a means of validating and
expressing the kundalini experience in easily understandable scientific terms and to show that
there are many people working on this most important aspect of life. Many of their researches
are outlined here in simple terms. These researches represent pioneering efforts to delineate
the broader function of man. No doubt, in the future, new machines and methods will have to
be developed, for we are seeing only the bare beginnings of yogic research at this time.
However, the efforts of these researchers will be remembered and will set the course for more
sophisticated, scientifically acceptable research.
One thing is sure, science and yoga have been running parallel and in the same direction
and are now beginning to converge towards a meeting point which promises to transform
society. The concept of kundalini and the higher sciences is becoming more widely known
and respected and more and more people are taking up its practice. This book and this section
are an offering to help you to see kundalini in a more total and easily understood manner, to
give researchers guidelines and perspective, and to help you achieve kundalini as a reality in
your own life.
apter 2
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Kundalini, Fact not Fiction
"As one opens the door with a key, so the yogi should open the gate to liberation with the
kundalini. The great goddess sleeps, closing with her mouth,, the opening through which one
can ascend to the brahrnarandhra... to that place where there is neither pain nor suffering.
The kundalini sleeps above the kanda... she gives liberation to the yogi and bondage to the
fool. He who knows kundalini, knows yoga. The kundalini, it is said, is coiled like a serpentHe who can induce her to move is liberated." Hatha Yoga Pradipika v. 105-111
With our present limited state of consciousness, bound by sense experiences which
become dull and monotonous through endless repetition, and unable to break out of our
tensions, problems and anxieties, modern man is facing both a material and spiritual crisis.
This crisis is a two-edged sword, Kundalini both binds and liberates. On the one hand it is
'bad', for it creates anxiety and depression and has precipitated a plague of psychosomatic
disease and suffering unparalleled in former times. On the other hand, it is 'good', a blessing
in disguise which is forcing us to change and grow, to evolve ourselves at individual and
social levels.
We are witnessing a tremendous upsurge of interest in yoga, meditation and spiritual
values. There has been a revival of the yogic lifestyle and knowledge. Yoga and its related
sciences are now recognized as valuable tools within the healing professions and have added
tremendous depth and height, a new dimension to psychology and philosophy. Scientists have
been inspired to probe deeper into the mysteries of yoga, to investigate the means by which it
works and to make the teachings of the ancient rishis and yogis more readily understood and
expressed in modern scientific terminology. We are seeing that science is not actually
discovering anything new but is substantiating the ancient knowledge of the yogis.
Scientific investigation into yoga and the allied sciences has made this knowledge more
accessible by incorporating it into a whole new set of therapeutic techniques and new methods
to develop our potential, for example, biofeedback, autogenic training, mind control
techniques, psychic healing, and a myriad of other similar processes. New branches of
medicine have come into being, and the recognition of mind, begun by Freud in the early part
of this century, has finally filtered down into common acceptance. Stress medicine and
psychosomatic medicine are examples of our deeper understanding of this interaction of
energy, mind and body, an understanding developed through our rediscovery of yoga.
In an effort to penetrate the mysteries of prana shakti, the physical side of psychic energy,
and chitta, the mental side of psychic energy, a few respected and eminent pioneers, honoring
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the rigorous demands of the scientific method, have accumulated a solid core of evidence
which explains in scientific terms the phenomenon of psychic energy and validates the
teachings of yogis. Science has substantiated the yogic knowledge that a subtle energy exists
which is body-based and has both physical and psychic properties. This energy, which powers
our awareness and transforms and expands our conscious dimensions, is not just a myth or
idea; it is not a metaphysical concept, but a fact. Kundalini is defined as the ultimate, most
intense form of this energy, which lies dormant within each and every one of us.
Parapsychology
Phenomena such as telepathy, psychic healing, psychokinesis (the moving of matter by
mind power), dowsing, telegnosis (psychic reading of history and association of objects), and
other paranormal events, are receiving serious attention from the more pioneering members of
the international science community as a means of understanding the relationship of energy
and consciousness.
Hard-headed scientists in the USA, UK, Germany, Holland, Scandinavia and Australia, are
taking the lead from the scientists of the Soviet Union, many of whom are financed by their
governments. Called bioelectronics or paraphysics in some circles, this field of study is
generally known as parapsychology.
In Czechoslovakia it is known as psychotronics, and one of the leading Czech researchers
in this field is Dr. Zdenek Rejdak, whose association with Swami Satyananda began in the
early seventies when he stayed at the Bihar School of Yoga. Speaking in Japan at the fifth
annual conference of the Internationa! Association for Religion and Parapsychology in 1976,
Dr. Rejdak defined psychotrotiics, and therefore, the whole field of parapsychology as, "the
science which, in an interdisciplinary fashion, studies the distant interactions between living
organisms and their environment, internal and external, and the energetic processes
underlying these manifestations in order to supplement and widen man's understanding of the
laws of nature."
Psychic energy
Psychic energy has been found to affect a whole range of laboratory equipment, from
voltmeters to Geiger counters to magnetometers. Yet this does not mean that psychic energy
is electrical, magnetic or radioactive. Rather, it seems to both encompass and go beyond these
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properties. Most researchers agree with the Soviets who state that psychic energy may have its
origin in electrical activity, but the nature of the energy is entirely different. However, yogis
state that prana is the substratum of our material universe, interpenetrating and organizing all
matter and being the common ground for all energy. They see prana from a different and
higher perspective.
It is also generally accepted by scientists that psychic energy, most widely known as
bioenergy, is body-based and affects both the physical and mental spheres as indicated by
yogis. It has also been measured as a force field surrounding the body up to a distance of
twelve feet by Yale neuropsychiatrist, Dr. Leonard Ravitz. (1) This seems to support the yogic
concept of the subtle pranic body which interpenetrates and is interdependent with the
physical structure, motivating it to function.
There is considerable support for this hypothesis, gathered from the monitoring of the
physiological changes experienced by psychics during laboratory tests of paranormal events.
For instance, as part of his usual experimental procedure, Dr. Grenady Sergeyev of the A.A.
Utkomskii Physiological Institute (a Leningrad military lab.), took readings of the brain
waves, heartbeat and pulse rates of Neyia Mikhailova during her numerous demonstrations of
psychokinesis. (2) He found that while Mikhailova was causing objects to move without
touching them, his instruments recorded a tremendous vibration throughout her body and its
surrounding force field which pulsed in the direction of her gaze. Her heart and brain waves
also pulsed in unison with this energy vibration, indicating that the energy Mikhailova used in
her psychic feats is intimately connected with her whole body. Reports go on to state that:
"After doing these tests, Mrs. Mikhailova was utterly exhausted. There was almost no
pulse. She'd lost close to four pounds in half an hour. The EEG (brain wave pattern) showed
intense emotional excitement. There was high blood sugar and the endocrine system was
disturbed. The whole organism was weakened as if from a tremendous stress reaction. She
had lost the sensation of taste, had pains in her arms and legs, couldn't coordinate and felt
dizzy." (3) At one time, after making a seven hour film of her abilities, Mikhailova was
temporarily blind. Other Soviet investigators have recorded changes in brain wave patterns
which coincide with the reception of telepathic signals, and researchers in the USA have
shown that the volume of blood in the body alters during telepathic interactions.
This evidence leaves no doubt that psychic energy, or bioenergy, is from the body and is
the same energy that activates every aspect of our metabolism, from the functioning of the
glands, to the brain and heart. It is the power behind the emotions and the operation of the
senses. At the same time, prana, though based on and affecting the physical structure and
function, has a wider range of properties and is associated with clairvoyance, clairaudience
and other forms of extrasensory perception. It has a mental or psychic component and it is
both gross and subtle.
Psychic energy can affect matter without any apparent physical intermediary or medium.
There is some undetectable energy at work which we cannot measure though we can see its
results. It can even be used in healing. Sister Dr. Justa Smith in America, has demonstrated
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that psychic energy affects enzymes. (4) She has found that trypsin, a digestive enzyme which
is damaged and decreases activity when exposed to ultraviolet light, increases activity when
exposed to a high intensity magnetic field. When a water damaged trypsin solution was held
in the hands of a recognized psychic healer for 72 minutes, irypsin increased its activity.
R. Yaeger has shown that when a practitioner of kundalini yoga performed certain
pranayama techniques and then sat next to an onion for 15 minutes with his hands in a fixed
position, about two feet from the experimental plant, cell division, and therefore metabolic
energy increased by 108%. (5) A control subject sitting in the same position, but without
doing pranayama, had no effects on the plant.
We have a clear evidence from these experiments that there is a new kind of psychic
physiological energy that fits the description of prana and kundalini as set forth in the yogic
texts and verbal traditions.
Summary
Modern science has been able to ascertain that psychic energy is a real and physicallybased phenomenon. Though it does not fall into the known categories of modern science, its
effects can be experienced and recorded repeatedly. No one really doubts its existence. What
it is and how it functions, its relationship to our body and mind and its potential use as an
evolutionary tool require further research from scientists who will find guidelines in the
perspectives and experiences of dedicated yogis.
This research will soon be under way at Bihar School of Yoga where we intend to
investigate these phenomena in all their varied aspects. Through this, we will be better able to
understand the relationship of mind and body and this will have tremendous repercussions on
studies in to psychosomatic medicine, psychology and other important fields. As we ourselves
learn to appreciate that great joy and good health that come from developing and being
sensitive to psychic energy, a large and forgotten area of our being, we will extend our
possibilities, develop our innate potential and speed up our spiritual evolution.
1. Ostrander, S. & Schroeder, L., PSJ - Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain,
Abacus, London, 1977, pp. 88-89.
2. Ibid, pp. 88-99.
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3. Ibid, p. 398.
4. Ibid, p. 237.
5. Yaeger, R., "The Effect of Kundalini Yoga on Onion Root Cells Mitosis", Unpublished
paper, California State College, 1979. Quoted in Kundalini, Evolution and Enlightenment,
White, J. (Ed.), Anchor-Doubleday, New York, 1979, p. 266-267.
Chapter 3
Defining the Nadis
Yoga and tantra lay down one of the most complete systems for a practical understanding
of the human condition. Tantra supplies the philosophy, the theoretical approach. Yoga
supplies the techniques by which we can validate this philosophy through our own personal
experience and thus attain higher knowledge. Tantra is therefore a living philosophy and not
just a system of endless intellectual speculation unable to deliver the truth and leaving more
questions unanswered than answered. It is also a very potent method by which we can realize
ourselves in totality, and attain union, ultimate freedom and fulfillment.
Perhaps the greatest contribution of tantra to the modern world will be its ability not just to
define the mind and put it into perspective, but to deliver techniques by which we can
experience the mind itself and eventually transcend it through the awakening of kundalini.
Modern medicine and psychology, for example, will greatly benefit from tantra's systematic
and succinct approach to man's fundamental, basic components of body, mind and spirit pingala, ida and sushumna. These flows of energy make up our total human personality and
are derived from the ultimate polarity of our macro-cosmic universe into Shiva and Shakti,
consciousness and energy.
In trying to understand the manifestations of these forces in our body, and for research
purposes, in trying to prove the reality of the existence of the nadis, we have to understand
that they are not physical, measurable, dissectable structures within our physical body, but are
the basic energies which underlie and motivate life and consciousness.
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It is important to understand exactly what nadis are before we either try to prove their
existence or disprove it. When we achieve certain states of consciousness we can see that
nadis are, as yogis described them, flows of energy which we can visualize at the psychic
level as having distinct channels, light, color, sound and other characteristics. At the same
time, however, these nadis underlie and can be seen mirrored in all bodily functions and
processes. There is no separation between the nadis, the body and the mind; they are one and
the same thing.
The duality of life
In many of the oriental philosophies, the entire universe is seen as a separation into two
great, polarized forces, Shiva and Shakti, which are interdependent and opposite, but
complementary. The universe hangs as a kind of web of interacting energies, suspended and
functioning within the framework of tensions developed by the fundamental polarity. Carl
Jung stated, ''Natural processes are phenomena of energy constantly arising out of a 'less
probable' state." (1) This apparent dualism is actually a unified, holistic process from another
level of consciousness, but at our own level we see it from a fragmented, limited and partial
perspective.
We see polarity everywhere we look, in nature, within ourselves and within our mind.
Moving from macrocosmic to microcosmic to atomic, at every level, two great principles or
forces can be seen at work motivating our universe; light and dark, positive and negative,
male and female. All other forces are seen to be an outcome of these two main forces. It
seems amazing to us that things can be so simple and yet so profound, however, to the
enlightened mind, the universe and man is just so.
All of life, therefore, has two main aspects upon which all of our perception, activity and
experience are based. Our mind and body are the outcome of two main forms or modes of
energy interacting and creating endless manifestations in the universe of our body. For
example, we have a right and left brain, a parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system,
an anabolic and catabolic metabolism, a conscious and unconscious mind. We are poised
between life and death and our whole existence is a struggle to retain balance between these
two forces.
Ida and pingala
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Yogis realized the existence of these forces and understood their relationship. They said
that man has three main flows of energy, which they called the nadis, ida, pingala and
sushumna, and which have been roughly translated as body, mind and spirit. The third flow is
the result of the balanced interaction of the first two. They also said that man functions mainly
in the first two areas of body and mind, pingala and ida, the third aspect being dormant until it
is stimulated by yoga or some other discipline.
Ida and pingala are roughly translated as mind and body. Though this is true at one level,
when we are discussing the polarization of the total individual, the body and rnind are
themselves each polarized. We have to understand, however, that the nadis are not structures
but are functional relationships and are really different sides of the same coin. Yogis did not
describe the nadis in terms of structures, though structure exists to handle them. They
described them in terms of energy, prana., vital and life-giving for pingala, and chitta,
conscious and knowing for ida. The attributes of the nadis are summarized below:
Pingala can be denned as the dynamic, active, masculine, positive, yang energy within our
personality. It has a physical and mental side. Its material qualities are light, heat, solar,
energy accumulating, creative, organizing, focused (centripetal) and contractive. The positive,
dynamic mental side within Freud's system is Eros, the pleasure principle, and in Jung's
system is the conscious personality, the rational, discriminating side. We can say that pingala
is psychosomatic energy, outwardly directed, mind acting on body to motivate the organs of
action, the karmendriyas. It is the basic energy of life.
Ida is the energy within the personality which is passive, receptive, feminine, negative,
yin. At the physical level it is dark, cold, lunar, energy dissipating, disorganizing, entropic,
expansive (centrifugal) and relaxing. At the mental plane Freud called it Thanatos, the death
instinct, and Jung called it anima, the unconscious, female within, emotional, feeling, intuitive
and non-discriminating, the background on which the differences can be seen and which
unifies. This is the somopsychic aspect of man, where energy is inwardly directed, and body
acts on the mind. Ida controls the sense organs or gyanendriyas and therefore gives us
knowledge and awareness of the world we live in.
The third force
Another force exists in nature which is little understood or even appreciated, but which is
of vital importance to man. It is a fact that when two opposing forces are equal and balanced a
third force arises. Strike a match on a matchbox and you create fire, bring positive and
negative currents together and you can work machinery, unite body and mind and a third
force called sushumna, spiritual energy, arises. This is one of the aims of yoga, because only
when sushumna awakens can the super power of kundalini, this maximum force, ascend
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safely to fuel, power and create cosmic consciousness. Sushumna is a high tension power line
and ida and pingala carry the domestic lines to power the basic necessities.
Carl Jung outlined the tantric view when he described the driving force of self-realization.,
which he called "individuation", as a dialectical interaction between the opposites, beginning
with conflict and culminating in synthesis and integration. When perfect balance is achieved,
stabilized and perfectedj a state of dynamic peace is achieved, which is a paradox,a union of
opposites, the synthesis of doing and not doing, a totally new way of perceiving and
experiencing life.
Few of us realise this third, spiritualized state and most of us oscillate from one state to
another. Every 90 to 180 minutes ida and pingala alternate their dominance and only for a few
seconds or minutes does sushumna come into potential being. It is the goal of all yogic
techniques to balance and harmonize ida and pingala, life force and conscious awareness, so
that they join at ajna chakra to create the inner light of knowledge and bliss and reveal the
truth.
In order to balance the flows of energy, yoga prescribes various techniques, asana,
pranayama, shatkarma and meditation, which activate either ida, pingala or sushumna. This
does not mean we are activating one structure but are, via yoga, able to manipulate the
energies underlying the three possible modes of existence.
The functional modes
Nadis are flows of energy which move through each and every part of our body, the subtle
counterpart of the physical flows such as nervous energy and blood. All of the thousands of
nadis in the body are based on ida and pingala which spiral around the spinal cord. These are
the basic two modes of function on which all of our bodily and mental processes work.
Sushumna is the royal road which takes us to higher awareness and transforms the function of
ida and pingala.
Each and every cell of our body, every organ, the brain and mind, everything is polarized
and interconnected at both the physical and subtle levels, and this allows us to think, speak
and act in a concerted, balanced, synchronous manner, every part working to help every other
part. There are two basic systems in the body that control this, ida and pingala, and if we
stimulate any component of one system we turn on the whole system. This is how asana,
pranayama, meditation, and the whole armamentum of yogic techniques work, and this is
what is meant when we say that yoga affects the nadis.
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Arthur Deikman of the Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Medical Center,
USA, describes the two main modes of man's being from the perspective of modern
psychology. At the same time he describes the nadis ida and pingala using modern psychophysiological jargon. He states,"Let us begin by considering the human being to be an
organization of components having biological and psychological dimensions of organization :
an 'action' mode and a 'receptive' mode.
"The action mode is a state organized to manipulate the environment.The striated muscle
system and the sympathetic nervous system are the dominant physiological agencies. The
EEG shows beta waves and baseline muscle tension is increased. The main psychological
manifestations of this state are focal attention, object-based logic, heightened boundary
perception, and the dominance of formal characteristics over the sensory; shapes and
meanings have a preference over colors and textures. The action mode is a state of striving,
oriented toward achieving personal goals that range from nutrition to defense to obtaining
social rewards, plus a variety of symbolic and sensual pleasures, as well as the avoidance of a
comparable variety of pain." (2)
Deikman describes ida, the receptive mode as organized around intake of environment
rather than its manipulation. The sensory-perceptual system is dominant and parasympathetic
function predominates. The EEG tends to alpha waves, muscle tension decreases, attention is
diffuse,boundaries become hazy, and so on. It is a state of not doing.
The epitome of the active mode is the state of body and mind a taxi driver would be in
while driving through peak hour traffic. The epitome of the receptive mode is the deep
relaxation of yoga nidra, or the introverted state of formal meditation. The true meditative
state, which few scientific researchers really appreciate but which is the main aim of yoga, is
an example of the third mode, or sushumna functioning, in which active and passive are fully
balanced. Someone in this state is simultaneously externally and internally focused. For
example, we should be driving a taxi and at the same time be in a state of total relaxation or
"not doing". Or we would be sitting absolutely still and be filled with the dynamic energy of
shakti so that we are fully awake and active internally. This is avery difficult state to describe.
We know that our active mode is designed to ensure survival and the passive mode is
designed to ensure rest and recuperation of energy in the endless struggle for life and
existence. Telepathy and psychic phenomena in general fit into this picture and we can
hypothesize that telepathy is also designed to ensure survival. For example, we know that
under conditions of extreme stress and in emergencies, people have sent psychic calls for help
to close friends or relations; the emergency somehow powering this previously latent faculty.
Many "primitive" peoples also utilize these powers and take them for granted wondering why
it is that "civilized" man makes such a fuss about them.
Yogis also tell us that when we practise yoga, purify our nadis and become stronger and
more aware, siddhis, powers, must manifest as part of our spiritual development, though these
are only side-effects and not the main aim of our practice of yoga. This, it seems, is because
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we develop a more synchronized functioning of all the components of our body and mind and
awaken areas which have been dormant.
The need for balance
Though ida and pingala and their modes of activity are opposite, they are complementary
and must be balanced for total health and peace of mind. More than this though, balance can
open the door to the transcendental and to a new mode of functioning.
Most of us spend our lives in an unbalanced state. We tend to increasingly longer periods
of the active mode as we grow out of our childhood and find it difficult to relax into the
receptive state. This is probably a major factor in the spiralling incidence of psychosomatic
disease today. Deikman's research emphasizes the fact that our imbalance is reflected in every
activity as well as in our social, cultural and political organization. He stresses that the often
devalued ida, receptive, feeling, intuitive mode is far from inferior or regressive and is in fact
an essential component in our highest abilities.
Such research suggests that there is a very deep and urgent need for the reintroduction of
concepts such as ida and pingala at the grassroots level of society and that the recent
explosion of interest into yoga, meditation and esoteric philosophy is the result of deep-rooted
pain and tension resulting from imbalance in the nadis. It points to the fact that our whole
approach to ourselves, our science, society and culture will require complete review and
revision from the more total yogic perspective.
It is time we realized that the subtle and intangible aspects of human existence are as
important as the tangible, solid and easily measurable materialistic side. It is because of our
reliance purely on technology, the solid facts, and the external, pingala side of our universe
that we have not found happiness, real and lasting security or peace of mind, because these
things lie within us and are of the mind - ida, and are subtle. Yoga offers the techniques to
bring about balance in our lives, to not only realize the subtle, but, through a science of
enhanced intelligence, intuition and creativity, to make the subtle side of life a practical
reality and experience, a valid and important part of our lives as individuals and within
society.
1. Jung, G. G., "Mysterium Coniunctionis", Collected Works, Bollingen Series, Princeton
University Press, 14: xvi- xvii.
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2. Deikman, A.J., "Bimodal Consciousness", Archives of Gen. Psychiat., 25 : 481-9, Dec.
1971.
Chapter 4
Controlling the Nadis and the Brain
The human brain is truly one of the most awesome and amazing of creations. Housed
within the skull, it contains some 12 thousand million cells, and each of these cells has an
estimated 5 hundred thousand possible interconnections; there may be even more that we do
not know about. When the mathematics are computed there are more possible
interconnections in the brain than there are atoms in the universe.
The brain has an almost infinite capacity, and all within the two kilograms or so of
amorphous, pinkish grey brain matter with the consistency of jelly or cold oatmeal porridge.
How this quivering, pulsating, jelly-like substance remembers, thinks, analyzes, feels,
discriminates, intuits, decides, creates and directs all the countless functions of the body,
integrating the whole so that we synchronize action, speech and thought, is something that
each of us should contemplate daily.
Meditation on this miracle of creation, and any attempt to understand how the brain and
mind function, can lead to an understanding of the total process of kundalini awakening.
Indeed, many of our theories of how kundalini works are based on the brain, and this research
can help us to better understand the basis for kundalini awakening, the nadis and chakras. This
is because the brain, housing as it does the master control systems for the body within its
unlimited circuitry, must contain the physical circuits for the nadis and chakras.
The brain is also the interface between the body and the mind. All sensory information
travels to the brain via the gyanendriyas, the sense organs of knowledge, and is then fed into
the mind, and all decisions in the mind are then translated into the body via the karmendriyas,
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the organs of action, in a continuous, synchronous, dynamic process. Thus within the
workings of the brain we can see the workings of the nadis as described by yogis, and
research is deepening our understanding of this. Yogic techniques utilize this knowledge to
stimulate the body so as to achieve higher and better states of being.
The nadis in the brain
Important research from neuroscience has shown us that the brain fits into the dual nadi
model of man's personality as handed down to us by yoga. In a radical and last ditch attempt
to cure severe, unremitting epilepsy, Roger Sperry and his associates divided the brains of
their patients down the midline structure linking the two brain hemispheres, the corpus
callosum. To their surprise, not only did the epileptics cease seizures, but they came up with
startling new findings which are radically altering our neurophysiological understanding of
how the brain works and are revolutionizing our whole concept of man.
We have always known that the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body,
and vice versa. Sperry's findings, though still in the initial stages and requiring more research,
show us that each side of the brain handles a completely opposite but complementary mode of
consciousness. This finding is extremely important as it verifies the yogic viewpoint.
Yogis and scientists, using different terminology and different approaches, have come up
with the same conclusions, that man is divided into two main modes of functioning. The
circuits of the brain are based on ida and pingala, consciousness or knowledge, and action or
physical energy. We see ida and pingaia at all three major levels of the nervous system :
1. Sensory-motor nervous system (SMS) : all electrical activity in the body moves in one
of two directions, into the brain (afferent), ida, and out of the brain (efferent), pingala. Yogis
called the sensory nerves which are governed by ida, gyanendriyas, and motor nerves,
governed by pingala, karmendriyas. These nerves are concerned with perception of and
activity in the world.
2. Autonomic nervous system (ANS) : the autonomic nervous system is divided into the
outward directed, stress handling, energy utilizing, pingala dominant, sympathetic nervous
system, or the inwardly directed, rest handling, energy conserving, ida dominant,
parasympathetic nervous system. These two systems control and regulate all the automatic
body processes: heart, blood pressure, respiration, digestion, liver and kidney and so on.
3. Central nervous system (CNS) : this consists of the brain and spinal cord and contains
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the controls for the SMS and ANS. The brain contains much more than this though, for it is a
huge, ultimately complex computer, which stores and integrates information and puts our
decisions into action in a superbly synchronized and orchestrated performance. Its functioning
is definitely much more than its parts. Within the infinite circuitry of the brain resides more
potential than we can realize in one lifetime, however, the techniques of yoga systematically
clear and strengthen these circuits with regular practice.
This is what yogis have been telling us, that the circuitry for nadis and chakras exist within
the CNS, along the spine and in the brain. If we can tap, purify, strengthen and reconnect
these circuits via the various yogic techniques, we can totally transform our mind/ body
complex. The basis for yogic techniques lies in the fact that there is a nadi/chakra system
which can be seen, at the physical level, as being the sum total of the input and output of the
various sections of the nervous system and the parts of the body which connect to it. This total
body/mind complex functions on the power of the three basic types of energy- ida, pingala
and sushumna. We can therefore begin to understand why so many yogic techniques are
specifically aimed at balancing the ida/pingala flow and increasing our awareness of its
fluctuations.
Left versus right
Scientific study of the hemispheres of the brain by Sperry, Myers, Gazzaniga, Bogen and
later researchers, has shown us that the left side of the brain is usually concerned with speech,
logic, analysis, time and linear function, whereas the right side is silent, dark, intuitive,
feeling, spatial, holistic in function, and does not require linear, structured analysis for its
knowledge, though how it does know is a mystery. The right side of the brain is the physical
side of ida nadi, and the left brain, ofpingala. Thomas Hoover, a researcher comparing Zen
with the latest neurological discoveries, sums up the situation when he states, ''The
hemisphere that speaks does not know; the hemisphere that knows does not speak."
A number of word opposites have been used to describe and help us understand the new
view of brain function. Though the situation is not so simple, and each hemisphere must work
in an integrated fashion, there is a definite trend to separate modes of function :
Left Brain (Pingala)
analysis
verbal
temporal
partial
explicit
Right Brain (Ida)
understanding
spatial
"here and now"
holistic
implicit
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argument
intellect
logic
thinking
active
experience
intuition
emotion
feeling
passive
And we could also add light versus dark, conscious versus subconscious, talkative versus
silent, solar versus lunar, positive versus negative, mathematics versus poetry, rational versus
mystical, law versus art, objective versus subjective, digital versus analog, and many other
adjectives to aid our understanding.
Emotions in the split brain
Research by Marcel Kinsbourne, neurobiologist and neuropsychologist, director of the
Department of Behavioral Neurology at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center for Mental
Retardation in Waltham, Massachusetts, throws light on brain functioning which points to the
fact that the brain has two main modes of emotional activity. (1) He has found that the two
halves of the brain support different emotional states.
Research indicates that the left hemisphere governs happiness and positive feelings and the
right brain governs sadness and negative feelings. In the abnormal situation, patients with
right brain damage are often cheerful, elated and indifferent to their abnormal state. Left brain
damage, on the other hand, can lead to a gloomy outlook on life and unjustified anger, guilt
and despair. Most of us fluctuate from one state to another even in the normal situation,
though not to the extremes found in brain damaged subjects. Still the experience of fluctuation
can be distressing if we are not balanced and healthy.
The fact that the left brain is associated with bright, cheerful thoughts and the right with
sad and depressing thoughts, Kinsbourne theorizes, points to the conclusion that this dual
action of the brain is designed to handle our likes (pingala) and dislikes (ida). The things we
like are handled by the left brain, which focuses on and then approaches the object or
situation. This fits in with our active mode, the concept of the externally directed pingala nadi.
The things we dislike we try to avoid or withdraw from and we tend to be much more
concerned with the overall picture in this situation. This is handled by the right brain and fits
in with our receptive mode, introversion and ida nadi concept.
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The necessity of the right brain
The brain has two major modes or systems which must work together and be harmonized
if we are not to lose the essentials of our human existence. The nadis must be balanced for
optimal functioning, for sushumna to function, and for us to maximize our human elements
and potential. Unfortunately, few of us are really balanced and most of us, especially men,
tend towards the purely external, materialistic and technological pingala side rather than the
subtle, intuitive, feeling ida side. When imbalance between the nadis is minor we may not
even notice its effect, though it must manifest in our personality, behavior, relationships and
so forth, in ways that are baffling to us, and which can make our lives miserable. What
happens in the normal situation can be better understood when we look at an extreme
example.
Howard Gardener and his colleagues studied people with severely damaged right brains
(ida) and found that they become robot-like, minus their essential human understanding. (2)
He has found that only when both hemispheres of the brain are working together can we
appreciate the moral of a story, the measuring of a metaphor, words describing emotion, or
the punch line of a joke.
Without the right brain we lose our understanding and take things very literally. For
example, someone might say that he has a broken heart and the right brain damaged person
will ask, "How did it break?" They see the explicit, the facts, but cannot understand what has
been implied. These people also tell jokes at the wrong moment, their sentences become
meaningless and they confabulate - make up things. The important points in their sentences
are lost and are submerged or flattened, becoming part of the background. There is just a
stream of words without meaning or purpose. They also accept the bizarre and argue with
what should normally be accepted. It is obvious then that the right brain, which yogis called
ida or the receptive mind, is vital in the appreciation of relationships, of seeing how the parts
fit together as a whole, in understanding.
There is also evidence to show that the right brain is not only important for normal
understanding, but also holds the key for intuition and higher experience. Eugene D'Aquili,
Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, feels that split
brain research indicates that the circuits which underlie higher mental states, from flashes of
inspiration to altered states of consciousness, lie within the right brain, ida, and are powered
by the emotions. (3) D'Aquili has formulated a neurological description of "the intuitive
perception of God" in which one sees reality as a unified whole, experiencing a feeling of
oneness with the world. He feels it is a product of the parietal-occipital lobe on the right,
"non-dominant" side of the brain which somehow takes over the brain's functioning. Time is
experienced as standing still and a sense of absolute and complete unity of self with the
cosmos is felt. Both are features of right brain function and this experience is long lasting and
totally transforms people's lives so that they find new motivation and a healthier, more
fulfilling perspective of their relationship with life.
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This research indicates that unless we begin to take more notice of and develop the right
brain, we cannot partake inthe experience of higher consciousness. According to yogis, the
right and left brain, ida and pingala, must be balanced for such experience to take place.
The necessity for balance
Most of us fluctuate according to our inner biological rhythms, moving from left to right
brain, right to left nostril, active to receptive mode, every 90 to 180 minutes. These biological
rhythms are well documented though their actual role and significance is not well understood
and understanding of how things fit together is still in its infancy.
From the yogic point of view this rhythmic, or in the case of disease, arrhythmic swing,
indicates that we are unbalanced and that one mode, one side of our nature is constantly
becoming predominant. We rarely experience the more desirable state in which both sides
become equal and balanced. According to yoga, when both the sad and happy hemispheres
are balanced for a certain length of time, a new state arises which unites logic and intuition,
transforms our emotions and enables us to power a greater range of neurological activity.
We have to understand the necessity for attaining equilibrium and that the resultant state is
a better and more pleasant and puissant experience. Einstein is an example of a natural yogi
who used both sides of his brain. Meditating on what it would be like to ride on a ray of light,
he had a sudden and powerful flash of intuition, piercing insight into the mysteries of the
universe, indicating right brain function, and was able to harness his left brain to construct a
theory of energy and matter conversion which totally revolutionized science and replaced the
several hundred year old paradigm of Newton. Einstein stated, "The real thing is intuition. A
thought comes and I may try to express it in words afterwards." Yogis would say that Einstein
had not only experienced the awakening of Shakti in his nadis, but that this initial awakening
had also led to activation of a chakra. This powerful experience transformed and enriched not
only his life, but many other lives as well.
Perhaps the best known example of non-analytical creative genius is that of Leonardo da
Vinci who in 1490 invented a spring-driven car, a helicopter, as well as many other things
which came into common usage centuries after his time. His achievements extend into many
more fields, and apparently he used his right brain intuition to create an idea, because most of
his work is in the form of drawings and visual images rather than in written words.
Of course, there are times when we only require the left brain, for example, while doing a
mathematical equation, working on a factory production line, or implementing management
policy. However, these things quickly become boring if the right brain is not being used, and
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such monotonous, repetitious activity can lead to atrophy of our right brain capacities, and
even to disease situations, because such a lifestyle lacks creativity and is meaningless for us.
It is minus the right brain's capacity to see meaning in the things we do.
There comes a time when we must bring intuition into our lives, though this does not mean
that because we use intuition we will become another Einstein. Intuition is as commonplace
and necessary as eating and breathing. If our lives are to be happy and creative we must bring
it into action more. Most situations, in fact, demand it for their proper outcome even though
we do not realize it. Even simple situations require intuition, for example, knowing when to
shift gears in a car, knowing when a cake in the oven is baked, knowing when it is the right
time to say something nice to a friend, or how much strength is required to turn a screw. We
have to feel what is required using our right brain. There is no book and no one who can give
us this information. There can be no linear-structured analysis of what must be a non-verbal,
intuitive knowledge that springs from within, the intuitive flash has no time dimension and
defies logic. Within less than a second a total picture can be presented to our mind, the key to
unlocking the mysteries of sciences is gained and the seeds for hours and years of inspired
work and research may be planted.
For many people intuition is an unknown and unknowable commodity. Years of unhealthy
living, lack of direction, purpose and meaning, consistent overstimulation of our sensory
nerves, leading to dulling of our senses and an inability to find contentment and satisfaction,
plus unresolved, ongoing mental tension and anxiety (unhealthy ida), added to lack of
exercise, sedentary lifestyle and overeating (unhealthy pingala), all contribute to damaging the
intuitive apparatus in the right side of the brain and may even damage the logical, reasoning
capacity of the left side. We may find it very difficult if not impossible to repair and
reinstitute function by the normal methods of medicine and psychotherapy. Though yoga
possesses the techniques by which we can rebalance, reintegrate, regenerate and rejuvenate
our body/mind complex by bringing about balance in the nadis, even then it may be too late
for some people.
The balanced view
Most of us fluctuate from one side of our brain to the other in well documented 90 minute
cycles of rest (ida) and activity (pingala). A study by Raymond Klein and Roseanne Armitage
of the Department of Psychology at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia found that
performance of tasks involving left and right brain activity comes in 90 to 100 minute cycles.
(4) For 90 minutes, subjects could do well on right brain tasks and then switch over to doing
well in left brain related tasks. This also corresponds with the 90 minute fluctuation in nostril
dominance and points to agreement with the yogic theory that there is an intimate relationship
between the breath and the brain and their cyclical activity.
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If we are unhealthy then our brain cycles may become abnormal in rhythm, duration,
quality of function, or in some other way. Our whole life is disturbed and this situation
actually occurs much more than any of us, even medical science, has previously realized.
Yogis diagnosed dysfunction of brain rhythm by examining the flow of air in the nostrils.
Yogis have repeatedly asserted that there is a strong link between not just the nostrils and
the brain but between the eyes and ears and all body organs. Of course, today we know from
our anatomy and physiology that this is so, however, yogis were saying the same thing
thousands of years ago. In meditative experience they could feel the flows of energy in the
nerves moving into and out of the brain and the rest of the body. They were able to perceive
even more subtle levels of their being because they invented techniques which developed a
great deal of sensitivity and strength. These techniques also allowed them to assert control
over the nadis, the brain and all body processes.
Shambhavi mudra and trataka are two of the most powerful techniques of kundalini yoga,
designed to awaken ajna chakra by balancing ida and pingala. If this is so, and if the nadis
described by yogis are in the brain, then it means that yogic techniques can balance the brain
hemispheres. Research from split brains is revealing that this is so. We know that in normal
people, pictures appearing on the left side of our viewing field and sound in the left ear, both
transmitted to the right brain, are less agreeable than when they are presented to the other
side, according to Kinsbourne. Other research shows us that when we are gloomy we tend to
gaze to the left, affecting the right hemisphere, whereas happiness causes the opposite to
occur. (5)
This research indicates a definite relationship between eye position and hemispheric
dominance. It also indicates that shambhavi mudra and trataka balance brain hemisphere
activity because the eyes are held steady at the center of the forehead, crossed in shambhavi
and straight ahead in trataka. Even when we practise these techniques we may feel a very
powerful stimulation and pressure within the center of the head, ajna chakra activation, and
the subjective experience is that of simultaneous extroversion and introversion. Shambhavi is
the more powerful technique and induces an almost immediate effect. Centralized focusing of
awareness appears to affect both nadis simultaneously.
Balanced breathing
Even more conclusive evidence of yoga's ability to control the nadis in the brain has
emerged in relation to our ability to control the brain via the nostrils. David ShannahoffKhalso of the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences in the USA has shown that even a simple
breathing exercise can enable us to alter short term brain hemisphere dominance at will. (6)
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Whereas the previous research has been implied and theoretical, this study shows a definite
relationship between brain activity, the nasal cycle and our capacity to control our personality.
Shannahoff-Khalso found that when one nostril has dominant air flow the opposite
hemisphere of the brain is dominant. Forceful breathing through the more congested nostril
awakens the less dominant hemisphere. This is an extremely important finding. The EEG
responses consistently showed a relationship between nasal airflow and brain hemisphere
dominance for all four types of brain waves, beta, alpha, theta and delta.
Shannahoff-Khalso states that, "The nose is an instrument for altering cortical activity."
(7) He suspects that the nasal cycle is also linked to the basic rest/activity cycle, which
includes within the sleep cycle, the rapid eye movement (REM) phase and the non-REM
phase, because right nostril/left hemisphere dominance corresponds to phases of increased
activity (pingala), and left nostril/right hemisphere dominance corresponds to rest phases
(ida). This research verifies what yogis have been telling us and will require more
experimentation to repeat the findings and reveal the ramifications in terms of medicine,
psychology and our lives in general. It also reveals that buried within the brain are undreamed
of capabilities and potentials which can transform our lives if we can tap them.
While scientists search for wonder drugs, external stimuli to probe the deeper aspects of
man, yoga provides a concise and precise theoretical framework, within the nadi/chakra
system, for a deeper understanding of the total human range of existence and the techniques
by which to manipulate our internal environment, to stimulate internal secretions and to
maintain balance, optimal health and higher awareness.
1. Kinsbourne, M., "Sad Hemisphere, Happy Hemisphere", Psychology Today, May 1981.
2. Gardener, H., "How the Split Brain Gets a Joke", Psychology Today, Feb. 1981.
3. Black, M., "Brain Flash: The Physiology of Inspiration", Science Digest, August, 1982.
4. Ingber, D., "Brain Breathing", Science Digest, June, 1981.
5. Kinsbourne, op. cit.
6. "Breathing Cycles Linked to Hemisphere Dominance", Brain Mind Bulletin, 8 (3), Jan.
3, 1983.
7. Ibid.
Chapter 5
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Evidence for the Existence of Nadis
Of major importance for scientific acceptance of the existence of the whole science of
kundalini yoga, is the proof for the existence of the psychic network of energy flows called
nadis. The whole process of kundalini yoga rests on the premise that within the human body
there exists a system of nadis, flows of energy, which conduct energy, both physical and
mental.
There are three main nadis, ida, pingala and sushumna and there are said to be thousands
and thousands of nadis spread throughout the whole body. Though these nadis are body-based
they are not physical structures but rather appear to be functional. They are dynamic, alive,
moving, powering the body and mind, intimately linked with nerves, blood vessels and all our
body organs. While there is no known physical structural support system for them, yogis
maintain that they definitely do exist and have even mapped their pathways in the body and
their effects on the mind.
Correspondence of yoga and acupuncture
One man who has been working consistently to prove the existence of nadis and
acupuncture meridians, as well as the chakras, is Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama, President of the
International Association for Religion and Parapsychology. (1-9) A graduate from the Tokyo
University of Education with Ph.D. degrees in philosophy and clinical psychology, he was
recognized by UNESCO in 1974 as one of the world's ten foremost parapsychologists. He has
even invented his own equipment in order to elucidate the science of yoga and to make this
knowledge scientifically clear and acceptable. He states:
"By studying a number of books about the nadis and chakras of yoga over the last two
years, I have been able to establish that asana, mudra, pranayama and dharana were
ingeniously evolved on the basis of knowledge of the nadi system."
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Motoyama states that acupuncture and the yogic concept of nadis have the same
foundations and have affected each other for over 2000 years. That is, we are dealing with
systems that have been in operation for millennia. This in itself is reason to believe that there
must be something firm and solid at their foundations for people to have accepted and
followed their theories for so long. Systems which do not give results are usually quickly
discarded.
As an example of the correspondence of acupuncture and yoga, Motoyama points out that
the concept of the triple heater meridian in acupuncture and the five pranas of the body in
yogic physiology are almost identical. In acupuncture the lower heater, the area below the
navel, corresponds to apana, the middle heater corresponds to samana between the diaphragm
and navel and the upper heater corresponds to the prana between the throat and the
diaphragm.
Yoga also states that the chakras act as transducers, converting psychic energy into
physical energy and vice versa. They distribute this energy to the body via nadis. Several
acupuncture meridians lie in the areas attributed to the chakras and nadis, for example, the
governor vessel in the spine corresponds with sushumna nadi and the conception vessel
running along the front midline of the body is used in kundalini kriyas. Several meridians start
or finish in chakra locations.
Proof of nadis
One of the machines Motoyama has developed in order to prove the existence of nadis and
meridians is the AMI, or 'Apparatus for Measuring the Functional Conditions of Meridians
and their Corresponding Internal Organs'. This is an instrument designed to measure electrical
currents in the body. It measures the steady state current that exists all the time, as well as the
current in the body in response to an electrical shock from DC voltage. He uses it to measure
the charge at special acupuncture points alongside the base of the fingernails and toenails.
These are called sei (spring, well) points and are said to be the terminals for meridians, where
psychic energy either enters or exits from the body.
In an experiment designed to substantiate the existence of acupuncture meridians and
nadis, Motoyama placed electrodes on seven acupuncture points lying along the left triple
heater meridian which runs along the back of the left arm and the front of the body, as well as
a random electrode on the right palm, a point far from the area to be electrically stimulatedHe then gave the subject a painful 20 volt shock to the "sei" or beginning point of the triple
heater meridian, at the tip of the fourth fingernail. A few milliseconds later he recorded an
overall and equal physical reaction in all electrodes caused by excitation of the sympathetic
nervous system in response to pain.
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To prove that nadis do exist he then gave a very mild, painless and sensationless shock to
the same point and two to three seconds later recorded an electrical response only in those
specific points said, since ancient times, to be connected to the triple heater meridian. No
response was recorded on the palm electrode or in any other part of the body. It is an
interesting fact that the greatest response was found in the electrode at the other end of the
meridian, just below the navel. No physiological or neurological connection is known to
explain this phenomenon, however, the yogic and acupuncture explanations are validated by
this experiment.
It is very important to realize that the effect of stimulating the meridian electrically is not a
neurological process because the movement of energy in the nadi and meridian is much
slower than we find in nerves. The energy we are dealing with is something else, some other
form that we have as yet not understood. This fact is substantiated by the work of Dr.
Nagahama at the Chiba University Medical School in Japan who showed that the time it took
for the sensation to pass along the meridian was hundreds of times slower (15 to 48
centimeters per second) than nerve conduction (5 to 80 meters per second). Therefore we have
to postulate the existence of some other channel of transmission and nadis fit this description
exactly.
In another experiment, Motoyama coated the arm of a subject with a special paint
consisting of liquid crystals which react to changes in temperature by changing color. When
the "sei" point of an acupuncture meridian was stimulated by heat for from two to five
minutes, the liquid crystals in certain subjects changed color in a band along the meridian
being stimulated. This not only further supports the above research but also substantiates
another claim of yoga, that one of the characteristics of prana is that it generates heat in the
body.
Motoyama has been able to visually demonstrate and measure subtle changes in the body
that point to the fact that there is a flow of some kind of energy in the body which does not fit
in with our present day knowledge of body mechanisms, such as in neurophysiology, yet
which has a physical counterpart which can be recorded in laboratories. The exact nature of
this flow of energy, the connections between the subtle and gross physical structures, the
method by which prana acts on the body, these things await further clarification. What we do
know is that we are dealing with a new phenomenon, and a very important one which has
tremendous relevance to our present day needs in terms of understanding the body and mind
and the relationship between energy and consciousness.
The nadis and disease
Motoyama's experiments have also shown that the energy he is measuring is not just a
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peripheral phenomenon, some byproduct of electrical and chemical processes, but of primary
importance to our health. He has developed a system by which we can use our measurements
of the electrical state of the nadi system to know about our body's state of health and even of
each individual organ.
The AMI is supersensitive, able to record minute changes in activity. It measures three
different states of the nadi system. The first is the baseline reading or steady state value, that
which exists in our body all the time. This tells us about our general long term constitution.
Secondly, it measures the body's reaction to a very mild and sensationless electrical
stimulation, which tells us how we react to events, And thirdly, it records the aftereffects of
the stimulus, which gives information on the temporary functions of the body and basic tissue
resistance.
Thousands of such readings have been recorded and it has been found that most of us fit
into a "normal" range of values. If the value recorded is more than normal, the meridian is
overactive relative to most people, while a low value indicates an underactive nadi. For
example, one man whom Motoyama studied at Stanford University in America had lung
cancer. Instead of the normal value of 1000, this man had a value of only 150, showing great
depletion of energy in that area, and indeed, he was very sick. A number of hospitals in Japan
are using Motoyama's AMI machine to screen patients and the Kanagawa Rehabilitation
Center in Japan is comparing the results of X-rays and biochemistry with it. So far the results
have been very favorable.
Motoyama has also worked out that by measuring values of electrical skin resistance at
acupuncture points in response to a small electric stimulus on both sides of the body, and then
comparing the values from the left and right sides, any imbalance in the readings indicates
that disease is present in the organ linked to the meridian being measured. He found that any
percentage difference greater than 1-21 indicated disease. For example, when the heart
meridian value on the left was more then 1.21 times greater than the right, the EGG might
show an abnormal rhythm. One patient who was found to have imbalance in the liver, gall
bladder and stomach meridians, but who only had symptoms of stomach upset was found on
X-ray to have gallstones. One of Motoyama's laboratory assistants showed a large difference
between the left and right bladder and kidney values shortly before being diagnosed as having
cystitis.
It is interesting to note that yogis are also found to have abnormally high readings, but
without disease, and Motoyama states that this indicates a greater range of activity of the
nervous system as a result of yogic techniques.
These findings are very important because they indicate that pranic energy, or ki, which
yogis have experienced as flowing in the nadis, is real. Yogis state that an imbalance in the
nadis, especially ida and pingala, will cause disease and that yogic techniques can rectify this
situation by action on the nadis. Motoyama's work substantiates this. It points to the fact that
not only is prana real, physical and measurable, but that its balanced activity is vital to our
health and that we can use our measurements of pranic activity in the various organs of the
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body to diagnose impending or existing disease and thereby either prevent or treat the
condition before it becomes too far advanced.
Such research is paving the way for new diagnostic techniques in medicine. We are
beginning to absorb the subtler aspects of our existence into our modern scientific
understanding of the body and are utilizing this knowledge in our armamentum against
disease to better our lives and to uplift society.
Imbalance in the nadis
Motoyama's research supports the claim by yogis that within our body are flows of energy
with physical and psychic properties. Yogis aiso tell us that the nadis are intrinsically related
to the flows of breath in the nostrils. The breath in the right nostril is related to pingala
function (left brain), and in the left nostril is related to ida function (right brain). This fact is
the basis for swara yoga, the science by which we can know about the state of our body and
mind in relation to the outer environment by watching the flow of breath in the nostrils.
The fact that the nadis are related to the nostrils is the basis for the science of pranayama,
one of the most important and basic ingredients in kundalini yoga. For it is by manipulating
the flows of breath that we can learn to control the deeper and more subtle aspects of our body
and mind, to release energy and to send it to areas of the body that we wish to energize, heal
and awaken. This relationship between the flow of breath and the nostrils has been
demonstrated by research from Rumania.
Dr. I.N. Rige, an ear, nose and throat specialist from Bucharest, Rumania, studied nearly
400 patients suffering from one-sided nasal obstructions due to distortion and deviation of the
nasal septum. (10) He found that 89 percent of cases breathed more through the left nostril
and were more prone to certain types of respiratory diseases such as chronic sinusitis, middle
and inner ear infections, partial or total loss of the senses of smell, hearing and taste, recurrent
pharyngitis, laryngitis and tonsillitis, and chronic bronchitis.
He also found these left nostril (ida) breathers were more likely to suffer from one or more
of a wide variety of more distant disorders, such as amnesia, intellectual weakening,
headaches, hyperthyroidism, heart failure, poor liver function, gastritis, colitis, peptic ulcer,
constipation and reproductive problems, such as decreased libido and ovarian irregularities.
Patients whose breath flowed predominantly through the right nostril were predisposed to
hypertension. Riga found that correction of nasal deformities helped to relieve the disease
situation.
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Riga's research supports the yogic theory of nadis and indicates that the nostrils and the
flow of breath in them are much more important than we previously realized, having many
neurological and psychic connections whose function we have not yet appreciated. It supports
Motoyama's work which shows that imbalance in the nadis is related to disease states and
points to the fact that the nostrils are, as yogis have said, windows into the state of our body
and mind, a fact which medical science can utilize in diagnosing many disease situations.
More than this though, the nostrils and the science of pranayama allow us to influence the
body and mind by influencing the nervous system and psychic energy at the more subtle
levels of our being. The nostrils are switches which can do more than merely alleviate disease.
By controlling the speed, rate, rhythm, length and duration of the breath, by altering the ratio
of inhalation to exhalation in the nostrils and by stopping the breath, we can activate or tone
down neurological and mental processes so as to achieve heightened awareness and altered
states of consciousness.
Yoga is a science of self-regulation which is a priceless gem in today's disease and worryridden world. It bestows knowledge about internal flows of energy and thereby mastery over
the inner processes of our being and autonomy, independence and confidence in our ability to
deal with the constant demands and pressures of modern living. In the long run, regular,
sincere practice and proper guidance by a competent master balances the nadis and eventually
awakens kundalini.
1. Motoyama, H., "Chakra, Nadi of Yoga and Meridians, Points of Acupuncture", Instit. of
Religious Psych., Oct. 1972.
2. Motoyama, H., "The Mechanism Through Which Paranormal Phenomena Take Place",
Religion & Parapsych., 1975, 2.
3. Motoyama, H., "Do Meridians Exist, and What are They Like", Research for Religion
& Parapsych., i (i), Feb. 1975.
4. Motoyama, H., "A Psychophysiological Study of Yoga", Institute for Rel. Psych.., 1976,
6.
5. Motoyama, H., "An Electrophysiological Study of Prana (ki)", Res. for Rel. &
Parapsych. 4(1), Nov. 1978.
6. Motoyama, H,, "Yoga and Oriental Medicine", Res. for Rel & Parapsych. 5(1), March,
1979.
7. Motoyama, H,, "Electrophysiological and Preliminary Biochemical Studies of Skin
Properties in Relation to the Acupuncture Meridian", Res. for Rel. & Parapsych., 6(2), June,
1980.
8. Motoyama, H., "A Biophysical Elucidation of the Meridian and. Ki-Energy", Res, for
Rel & Parapsych., 7(1), August, 1981.
9. Motoyama, H., "The Meridian Exercises", Res. for Rel. & Parapsych., 8(1), Oct. 1982.
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10. Riga, I.N., "Neuro-Reflex Syndrome of Unilateral Nasal Obstruction", Revue D'OtoNeuro-Ophthalmologic, 29 (6) ; I-II, 1957.
Chapter 6
Neurophysiology of the Chakras
The chakras can be interpreted from many points of view, for example, the physical,
psychological, behavioral, psychic, symbolic, mythical, religious, scientific, evolutionary,
spiritual and more. They have both a microcosmic aspect within the human framework and, at
the same time, a macrocosmic aspect which totally encompasses our perception and
experience of life. At whatever level we examine them, they represent a hierarchical,
interlocking and interdependent series of mandalas which, when superimposed on one
another, make up a total picture of the human personality.
Each of us stands at a certain point along the line of evolution that ascends the chakras and
this will determine how we see the world. Someone who lives at swadhisthana sees the world
in terms of gratification of his desires, for example, at manipura in terms of gratification of
power instincts, at anahata in terms of compassion and love for all humanity. The degree of
evolution of the chakras depends to a great extent on the activity within our nervous system
and our state of consciousness. Someone at a lower level cannot understand someone at a
higher level whereas the person at a higher level has been at the lower level before, has a
wider range of experience, and more importantly, he has more circuits awakened or activated
for handling life's experiences, for perceiving at different levels, and for interpreting and
acting on the demands of life.
Even within the same chakra there are different levels of evolution, balance and activity,
so that someone living at manipura might be more aware than someone else at manipura, their
center being more balanced and awakened, so that, for example, they use their power drives
constructively to help people rather than destructively and for their own personal ego
gratification. An adult generally has a more evolved manipura chakra than a child, protecting
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the child from danger while the child pulls the wings off butterflies or gaily stamps on ants
and insects. Of course, this is relative and varies from individual to individual.
Each level in the chakra system is the sum total of various physical, emotional, mental,
psychic and spiritual elements. Each chakra has its own neurological plexus and endocrine
gland and these link up to various organs and systems in the body. They in turn are connected
to the controlling mechanisms of the brain, each of which has emotional, mental and psychic
components. The chakra is like a transducer, a linking point between the various levels of our
being and it converts and channels energy either up or down to the various levels.
In trying to understand the chakras, therefore, we can think of each level in the spinal cord
as controlling a different segment of the body, and at the same time, representing a level of
functioning in the nervous system and mind. Ajna chakra, for example, is a much more
complex center than mooladhara, or any chakra for that matter, controlling as it does the
intuitive and higher mental faculties related to the most evolved circuits in the cerebral cortex.
Ajna chakra has as its symbol the two-petalled lotus, and we can think of this as representing
the two hemispheres of the brain with the pineal gland as its main focusing central point.
Mooladhara, on the other hand, controls very deep, powerful, primitive, animalistic,
unconscious urges and instincts which are related to very simple and primitive neurological
circuits at the bottom of the brain common to all animals, reptiles and even birds.
The chakras within the brain
Recent discoveries in neuroscience, precipitated by fantastic advances in technology,
measuring capacity, surgical technique and pure pioneering perspicacity, promise to
revolutionize our concept of man and propel us into new and better techniques in medicine,
psychology and living in general. Like Einstein's discovery of relativity, the ramifications of
these discoveries take time to percolate down into common usage.
The brain is one of the hardest of all areas to research because of the inaccessibility and
delicacy of the area to be studied. There is also an inherent and almost insoluble problem in
studying the brain. Man is using his brain to study and understand his own brain. This is like
trying to understand the mind with the mind, or grasp the hand with the same hand, or see the
eye with the same eye. We cannot know ourselves objectively as we can an external object or
person, for we are the knowledge itself. Besides this, few people are keen to let doctors open
their skulls and look inside.
Neurosurgeons and yogis share common ground because both aim to know the truth and
reality of themselves. It is the approach which differs. While scientific researchers have
approached the brain objectively and have attacked and dissected it with knives, probed it
with electrodes, photographed and X-rayed it, stimulated and drugged it in order to
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mechanically and externally manipulate its circuits into giving up their secrets, yogis decided
to scientifically discover the secrets of the brain by experiencing it directly through
meditation. Their findings agree with those of modern science.
Yogis discovered through meditation that within their bodies were circuits and centers
with both physical and psychic components that they called nadis and chakras. Though we
take this for granted now, we must remember that these studies were made thousands of years
ago without the aid of modern microscopes. Not only did yogis achieve a wonderfully
complete and practical system of techniques, but way back then they also based their
techniques on solid scientific research, the discovery that there are six major primary centers
in the body, the chakras, in a hierarchical, interconnected network within the spinal cord.
They also saw that each chakra had its own definite physical, psychological and behavioral
characteristics, connected to the brain by a network of energy flows, all of which did not
necessarily correspond to purely physical structures. They also discovered many secondary
centers which were subsidiary to the primary ones.
The chakras in the spinal cord were found to be points manipulated by focusing attention,
mental and psychic energy, breath and body postures, so as to derive certain physical and
psychic experiences. The techniques allow us to learn to control the most basic and vital
instincts and needs of body, emotions, mind, psyche and spirit. Recent discoveries from
neurophysiology and anatomy show that vital nerve plexes and endocrine organs exist within
the body, spine and brain and correspond to the levels described by yogis. These findings
support the claims of yogis that their system is more than just mere exercises and relaxation. It
is a method supplying the tools to control our body, mind, metabolism and personality.
The triune brain
Dr. Paul MacLean, neurophysiologist and head of the Laboratory of Brain Evolution and
Behavior at the National Institute of Mental Health, USA, has demonstrated that the brain of
man is functionally divided into three main areas, three interconnected biological computers,
each with its own special intelligence, subjectivity, sense of time and space, memory, motor
and other functions. (1) Each brain corresponds to a separate evolutionary step and is
distinguished neuroanatomicalty and functionally, containing strikingly different distributions
of the main neuro chemicals in the brain, dopamine and serotonin. If we look carefully into
these levels and compare descriptions of neuroscientists and yogis we see that both were
saying the same thing.
The three levels are called the reptilian, mammalian and human levels: (See figures 1 &
2.)
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Figure I
OUTER SURFACE OF THE BRAIN
Figure 2
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INNER SURFACE OF THE BRAIN
1. The reptilian complex includes the very topmost spinal cord and the lower areas of the
brain, including the medulla oblongata and part of the reticular activating system, that part
responsible for our waking, conscious state. This area contains the basic neural machinery for
self-preservation and reproduction, including regulation of the heart, blood circulation and
respiration. It controls mating, social hierarchies, insistence on routine, obedience to
precedent and ritual, and slavish imitation of fads and fashions.
According to MacLean, the R-complex plays an important role in aggressive behavior,
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territoriality, ritual and the establishment of social hierarchies. This area corresponds to the
description of the mooladhara and swadhisthana chakras, because yogis have told us these
centers maintain our most basic and primitive, animalistic drives and instincts; basic living,
eating, sleeping and procreating within a dark and primitive, monotonous and repetitious
existence, minus joy, love and self-awareness. They are related to our deepest unconscious
and subconscious mind.
MacLean and his co-workers have found that this area dominates the lives of most people,
which agrees with the statement by yogis that most people live in mooladhara and
swadhisthana, though their function is modified by the higher centers. We spend most of our
time controlled by and stimulating the lower chakras within the blinding limitations of our
daily rituals.
MacLean has also shown that this is true neurologically. Removing the cerebral cortex
from hamsters a day or two after birth and leaving only the R-complex and limbic system,
MacLean found that the hamsters grew up normally, gave birth and displayed every form of
behavior normal for hamsters. They could even see without a visual cortex. Leaving only the
R-complex in birds, he found that they could function normally and carry on most kinds of
communication and day-to-day routines.This research indicates that our day-to-day functions
are controlled by these primitive areas and that we do not really need much more of our brain
to handle the basic problems and demands of a neatly ordered, socially accepted lifestyle. We
rarely stimulate our higher centers, and in fact find it hard to cope with any demands out of
the ordinary. This is why yogis tell us to practise yoga so as to develop our inner unused
capacity, some nine-tenths of the brain or more, and to stimulate the growth and development
of our higher centers.
Psychology also tells us that beneath the sane facade of any human being there lurks a
primitive creature, instinctive and irrational, a Mr. Hyde composite of all that is animalistic
and forbidden. Freud called this the id, an unconscious area from which arises our desires,
passions and the energy underlying our emotions and sense of who we are. Yogis call this
mooladhara and swadhisthana and tell us that the unconscious and subconscious areas have
two centers controlling them, one located in the perineum and the other in the spine behind
the pubic bone controlling sexuality and all its related behavior. Both psychologists and yogis
tell us that most of us spend most of our time trying to gratify and fulfil these basic urges for
food (survival) and pleasure. Much of our time, for example, is organized for making our
daily "bread", a slang term for money, by which we can buy food, shelter, clothing and
pleasure. Few of us realize that there is much more to life than this.
By practising yoga we learn to balance and control these centers physically and also at the
level of their instincts and drives, freeing their energy from primitive, compulsive ritual and
rechannelling it up sushumna to the higher centers for the awakening of higher consciousness.
2. The mammalian structures are under the control of the limbic system, which controls
emotion, memory and other behavior which is less ritualistic and more spontaneous. It is also
thought to control playful behavior, exhilaration, awe and wonder and the subtler, more
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human emotions such as love. MacLean has found that damage to areas of this part of the
brain results in deficits in maternal behavior and absence of play.
Within the limbic system are the behavioral centers for rage, fright, fear, feelings of
punishment, anxiety, hunger, desire, pleasure, pain, sex, joy and love. This area is thus related
to manipura and anahata functioning. If we stimulate the areas of the spinal cord behind the
navel and heart associated with the chakras, we will send energy into the brain to turn on the
various components at the physical, mental and behavioral levels associated with the chakras.
3. The human side of the brain is the most recently evolved neocortex, the seat of
intelligence and many of the characteristic human cognitive functions. It is here that, with
amazing speed and precision, the various faculties are integrated and synchronized. The
cortex makes possible: thinking, calculation, analysis, discrimination, intuition, creativity, use
of symbols, planning, anticipation of the future, artistic and scientific expression, and myriad
other highly evolved and purely human faculties.
We know that the frontal lobes of the brain are especially important, being the most
recently evolved part of the brain. Some researchers think that this part of the brain, in
connection with the other sections, is responsible for the very human capacity of selfawareness and knowledge of this self-awareness; we know that we know, and we know that
too.
We know that patients with severe frontal lobe damage or who have had frontal
lobotomies, operations which sever the frontal lobes from the rest of the brain, are incapable
of planning for the future and lack a continuous sense of self. They cannot see what effect a
certain action will have on the future. Such people become dull, slow, cease to care for
themselves or others, or about what they say or do. They are friendly, cooperative vegetables
with a serious lack of imagination and loss of interest in life. They may be suffering from
intense pain and not even care about the fact.
The frontal lobes are therefore said to be responsible for planning and discrimination, for
anticipation of tho future and, therefore, for the purely human emotion of anxiety. This differs
from fear which is related to an actual event. Anxiety is a mental event, related to some future
occurrence. It is valuable for our survival and evolution as individuals and as a species, for
caring for the family unit and for society; for our compassion. More than this it is the force
responsible for motivating the formulation of laws and economic and political systems, for
motivating the development of the arts and sciences, for religions and a system of ethics, for
all philosophies, and for the development of materially and spiritually secure cultures. As we
developed the capacity to plan, the frontal lobes freed our hands for the manipulation of tools,
drawing, writing and other bases for human cultural development.
Knowledge of death and the anxiety it engenders spurs us on to make the most of life and
to develop religious or spiritual systems which help us to cope with the thought of death. It
has also led to the yogic sciences which liberate us from death and take us to immortality.
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David Loye believes that not only are the frontal lobes involved in anticipation, but are
actually involved in seeing into the future. (2) He states that when, for example, a car is
rapidly approaching us, the frontal brain alerts both right and left hemisphere components to
process all the information from the rest of the brain, agreements and disagreements, so that
we can discriminate and decide what will most likely happen. He found in two separate
studies that people who tended to use both sides of the brain were better able to predict the
outcome of events than either right or left-brain dominant people. This supports the yogic
view that both sides of our nature must be balanced for proper function, fuller living and the
development of our inner potential.
Ajna chakra
All of these intellectual, intuitive, creative and expressive functions are said by yogis to be
characteristic of ajna and vishuddhi chakras. We know that, yogic techniques are especially
aiming at stimulation of ajna chakra, which lies at the pineal gland, midway between the
hemispheres.
Yogis state that ajna chakra and the pineal gland as its physical center, is the master
control chakra, the guru chakra. We know from physiology that just in front of the pineal
gland lies the thalamus, at the top of the limbic system. The thalamus has been found to be
one of the main centers regulating the interaction of our senses and motor activity (ida and
pingala), the pre-frontal cortex, which includes the right and left sides of the brain (ida and
pingala), the hypothalamus, which integrates and expresses emotion and regulates the ANS
and the endocrine glands, and the cerebellum, which helps to control movement. It therefore
integrates senses, thought, emotion and action. It is also important in the recognition of pain
and other sensory modalities, such as variations in the degree of temperature and touch, the
size, shape and quality of objects contacting the sense organs. An interesting fact is that it is
involved in the control of movement and especially the degree of squeezing and contracting
of muscles and joints,
We see, therefore, that the pineal/thalamic area fits the description for ajna chakra, the area
where senses and emotion, both ida functions, and motor and intellect, both pingala functions,
meet. Yogis tell us that fusion of ida and pingala at ajna is one of the definitions of yoga.
It leads to an explosion within the nervous system which somehow fuels and activates a much
larger number of circuits within both hemispheres and the limbic system than would normally
occur. It is as though our nervous system suddenly becomes charged with a high tension
electric line, which yogis called sushumna.
Yogis also tell us that ajna is involved in intuition and perception of the subtle and
psychic. If the thalamic area handles degrees of perception and motor activity, making it
possible for us to experience the subtle things of life, then yogic techniques may allow us to
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develop our sensitivity in this area so as to be able to expand and extend our normal
capacities in order to sense the psychic quality of matter, an "extra" sense or common
sense, occurring at the meeting point of all the senses, the thalamus.
The chakras in perspective
Yogis tell us that the chakras lie along the spinal cord, that mooladhara lies in the
perineum and the other chakras move upward towards sahasrara at the apex of man's
evolution and consciousness. Ajna chakra is the highest center in which man feels that he
exists separate from the universe. Union or cosmic consciousness takes place in sahasrara.
Ajna is the controlling chakra, the guru center where commands are heard.
Neurophysiology points out that there are centers in the brain, stretching upward from the
medulla oblongata to the pineal/thalamic area which correspond to the classical description of
the chakras as told by yogis. We can say that within the brain all these fall under the control
of ajna, that they are layers of evolution within ajna, and as each chakra awakens in the spine,
it affects the level of conscious awakening and activity in ajna. The pineal/thalamic area
would represent that part of the brain which is most awakened and fully activated by total ajna
chakra awakening, while the medulla oblongata area is that part which corresponds to the
mooladhara chakra area. This would explain the close link between mooladhara and ajna; that
the awakening of one consequentially awakens the other.
In most people, ajna chakra, the thalamic/pineal area is dormant. Living in mooladhara and
swadhisthana for most of the time would mean that ajna chakra functions mainly from the
medulla oblongata, the reptilian brain. Only when we stimulate and awaken the centers by
yoga do we jump levels in our nervous system and consciously awaken the higher,
pineal/thalamic areas and their concomitant levels of consciousness. When ida and pingala
fuse in ajna, energy flows from mooladhara up to ajna, from the medulla oblongata to the
pineal/thai arnic area.
There are many techniques which can work on ajna chakra, such as shambhavi mudra,
trataka, mantra japa, nadi shodhana and bhramari pranayama, to name a few. When we say
these techniques are stimulating ajna chakra we are really stating that somehow they stimulate
the integrating and centrally located pmeal/thalamic area and thereby awaken our normally
dormant, higher intellectual/emotional, logical/intuitive functions. They stimulate the higher
elements of ajna and raise our consciousness up out of the lower, reptilian medulla oblongata.
The techniques balance the functioning of our total brain/mind complex, ida and pingala, by
focusing on the central, stimulating area and set the stage for the awakening of kundalini.
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1. MacLean, P., A Triune Concept of the Brain and Behavior, Toronto Press, Toronto,
1973.
2. Loye, D., "Foresight Saga", Omni, Sept. 1982.
Chapter 7
Evidence for the Existence of Chakras
Kundalini yoga teaches us techniques to influence our nervous system and mind so as to
bring about total balance and reintegration at every level of our being. It is an expanded
concept of man, a method of developing creative awareness and, more than this, of putting the
knowledge gained to use via a system of experiential techniques. It helps us to develop a new
outlook on life and ourselves. The chakras and their interaction within the totality of our
personality, stretched between ida and pingala, balanced in sushumna, open up new
dimensions for our mind and understanding to explore and develop.
The techniques of kundalini involve kriyas, combinations of asana, pranayama, mudra
and bandha, rotation of breath and consciousness through psychic passages and subtle
spaces, repetition of mantra and the piercing of psychic centers in order to heat up the
psychic and physical energies of man and to activate and awaken the chakras to our conscious
level of experience and control. The techniques are also designed to bring about balanced
purification and activation of all the chakras, but with the gentle accentuation of one or two
important centers. Certain techniques, such as ajapa japa, achieve this, creating a psychic
friction which ignites the spark of higher consciousness.
When conditions for ignition reach the required temperature and pressure, energy is
liberated within the body and mind, transforming our total personality. This energy must be
real and actual; though perhaps as yet undefined and not qualified. It is measurable at both the
physical and psychic levels if we have the correct conditions, equipment and understanding of
the phenomena. In this regard, several researchers have begun to pioneer exploration into the
uncharted depths of the human psyche and are devising techniques and equipment to assess,
measure and scientifically prove the existence of the chakras as the primary controlling points
for different levels of our being.
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Measuring the chakras
One man who has helped to pioneer scientific research into yoga and the phenomena of
kundalini and chakras is Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama. He states, "Fascinated... I too began
physiological experiments about fifteen years ago to try to determine if chakras actually exist
and their relationship to the autonomic nervous system and internal organs... Through various
examinations we have been able to determine that there are significant differences in the
physiological function of the organ associated with the chakra that the individual subjects
claimed to have awakened. Therefore, this research has led to the conclusion that chakras do,
in fact, exist." (1)
In his search for the existence of chakras, Motoyama has developed his own machinery.
One of these is the 'chakra instrument' which is designed to detect the electromagnetic field of
the body and any changes which take place in it due to chakra stimulation and activation.
Looking like a telephone booth and enclosed in a light-proof, lead-shielded room, the machine
was designed to detect energy generated in the body and then emitted from it in terms of
various physical variables such as electrical, magnetic and optical energy changes. Copper
electrodes are positioned at the top and bottom of the cage and a sliding, square panel with
electrodes on all four sides (left, right, front, back), is free to traverse up and down the frame
structure so as to be positioned at any part of the subject's body. An electromagnetic field is
set up between the electrodes and any vital energy ejected from the body affects this very
sensitive field.
A copper electrode and a photo-electric cell are positioned 12 and 20 centimeters in front
of the subject, level with the classical position for a given chakra. The location is monitored
for changes as the individual concentrates his mental energy at the chakra point, and
measurements are made for 3 to 5 minutes before, during and after concentration on the
chakra. Because of its powerful pre-amplifier (impedance near infinity), even the most subtle
energy ejection can be picked up and recorded. Information recorded is sent to various
amplifiers, computerized analyzers and oscilloscopes and is recorded on a highly sensitive
chart recorder. Other equipment is also used: to monitor respiration, autonomic nervous
system (galvanic skin resistance), changes in blood flow (plethysmograph), heart
(electrocardiograph), subtle vibrations in the skin (micro-tremor), so as to measure other
effects of chakra stimulation on the body and to make comparisons and interpretations.
Motoyama has used his equipment extensively to determine diseases in the body. (2) In
one case he measured a woman who was to have a uterine tumor removed a week later.
Measurements on his AMI machine (refer to the chapter entitled "Evidence for the Existence
of Nadis") showed imbalance in the related meridians. The pattern of energy measured by the
'chakra instrument' in front of the uterus (swadhisthana chakra) was much greater and quite
different than normal. Motoyama's research indicates that there is a definite correspondence
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between physical disease and disturbance in the energy of the chakra traditionally said by
yogis to control that part of the physical body.
Activity in the chakras
Motoyama has also measured chakra activity in normal subjects and recorded and
compared readings in subjects practising yoga versus untrained, control subjects. (3) Не found
that in an untrained subject concentrating on ajna chakra there was no change recorded by the
electrodes. The lines on the recording paper remained flat before, during and after
concentration.
A subject who had been practising stimulation of swadhisthana chakra for some time
showed a great deal of activation of that center, and much greater than in the control subject
who showed none at all. Large amplitude waves were seen before, during and after
concentration, indicating activation, however, there was no change during the period for
concentration, indicating lack of control over the center. This compares with another subject
who had been practising yoga for five years and who evidenced a marked rise in electrical
activity from ajna chakra but only during the time of concentration. The results indicate that
he had developed control over his ajna chakra.
'Chakra instrument' studies have been made with several yogis. (4) Dr. A.K. Tebecis, a
former professor of Canberra University, Australia, who had studied yoga throughout Asia
and who claims to have experienced astral projection due to the awakening of kundalini, was
tested on the 'chakra instrument'. Dr. Tebecis concentrates on anahata chakra during
meditation and also has a chronic digestive disorder. The AMI revealed instability in the nadis
involved in digestion, manipura chakra, and also in those related to the swadhisthana area.
When the 'chakra instrument' was used to measure manipura and anahata, no change was
found at manipura. Anahata concentration revealed considerable intensification of energy
during the period of concentration.
Two unusual findings have also been reported by Motoyama. In one case, not only did the
subject develop a more intense electrical reading during concentration on manipura, but also
had the subjective experience that psychic energy was being ejected from manipura. During
this time the positive electrical potential vanished, but only during the time of her subjective
sensation, and would reappear again as soon as the feeling of emission vanished. Motoyama
states:
v"One might surmise that the psi energy generated a negative electrical potential which
neutralized the positive electrical charge. However, it is also possible to postulate the creation
of a new physical energy. In fact, it is my opinion that the psi energy emitted from R.B.'s
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manipura chakra actually extinguished the surrounding physical energy. I take this stand
because the positive potential was precisely neutralized and because there was never any
appearance of a negative potential." (5)
The second case involves a subject who concentrated on anahata chakra. As the subject
relaxed, the chakra area was seen to be activated. She was then asked to concentrate on the
anahata area and it was arranged that any time she had the subjective experience of psi energy
emission she was to press a button which caused a mark to be made on the chart. It was found
that when this mark appeared the photoelectric cell signalled the presence of a weak light
being generated in the light-proof room. Her chakra monitor also detected electrical energy of
high potential and frequency.
Motoyama states that these findings imply that psychic energy working in anahata chakra
may be able to create energy in the physical dimension (light, electricity, etc.). It appears that
whatever energy is being produced in a developed and refined chakra circuit is capable of
extinguishing or creating energy in the physical dimension, which supports the yogic view of
chakras as transducers, converting psychic energy into physical energy and back.
Motoyama feels that if further research substantiates his findings, then the Law of
Conservation of Energy, as one of the basic foundation stones of modern physics, will have to
be revised.
The verification of an energy at the psychic plane which, though of unknown source and
substance, can influence matter, has been long claimed by yogis. It is also thought to be the
basis of healing and of all sciences in which mind is used to control matter. Yogis even state
that the world is a manifestation of mind, a view which is now being supported more and
more by physicists, especially those working with the subatomic particles that make up all of
matter and which lie midway between matter and pure energy (prana).
Motoyama states, "I feel that the continuation of research into the nature of psi energies,
by many others as well as myself, will lead to considerable change in our views of matter, of
mind and body, of human beings, and of the world itself." (6)
The psychic level
Objective evidence for the existence of the chakras also appears to have been found by
kinesiologist Valerie Hunt aad her associates at UCLA in America. (7) Assisted by Rosalyn
Bruyere, a psychic "aura reader", Hunt used a number of measurements in order to study the
body's field emission when it is being stimulated by deep muscle massage (Rolfing). This was
prompted by an earlier observation that after Rolfing and meditation there was an increase in
the electromyographic baseline.
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Hunt and associates utilized electromyographic equipment (EMG) which measures the
steady, low voltage of muscular activity plus several other instruments. Electrodes were
attached to eight sites, including chakra locations such as the crown (sahasrara), eyebrow
center (ajna), throat (vishuddhi), heart (anahata), base of the spine and acupuncture points on
the foot and knee. The sites for the electrodes were in places where muscle activity was
minimal and, therefore, electrical readings would indicate energy from a different source. The
electrodes were placed on the body in consultation with the "aura reader".
The individual being experimented on was given Rolfing (deep muscle massage), designed
to liberate deeper subconscious tension, and, therefore, theoretically able to affect chakra
activity. As the massage progressed the EMG readings were recorded on one track of a twotracked tape recorder. Simultaneously, while isolated in another room and oblivious to the
EMG and subject's reports, Bruyere recorded on the second track her observations of psychic
activity in terms of color change at the various centers. Hunt was able to question the aura
reader via a separate audio system so that no clue as to what the subject was experiencing or
what was going on at the EMG level could be detected by the psychic.
At the same time the subject related his experience which was tape recorded using a
second microphone, and any similarity between his experience, the symptoms of chakra
activation and the EMG recording were noted.
It was quickly evident in the central monitoring room where Hunt was sitting, that the
EMG changes and the distinctive wave forms being recorded correlated with the colors
reported by the sensitive, as did the experience of the subject. Later analysis, whether by wave
form, Fourier-frequency analysis or sonogram, produced consistently the same pattern of
results.
Hunt acknowledged that the possible interpretations of this data are staggering. The
radiations were taken directly from the body surface, quantatively measured in a natural state
and were isolated by scientifically accepted data resolution procedures. The study concluded
that there had been direct correspondence in every instance throughout all recordings between
the distinctive wave form and the psychic's description of the color err amanating from the
chakra. For example, every time a medium-large, sharp deflection with single or double peaks
at the top occurred, the psychic reported the color blue, while red corresponded to large, sharp
clumps of regular and irregular spikes of short duration interspersed with plateaux. Yellow
was a broad, smooth wave resembling an uneven sine wave.
The relationship between the emotional states and the colors was also accurate. Emotions,
imagery, interpersonal relations and the state of resiliency and plasticity of the connective
tissue are related to the color, and the state of the aura as seen by the psychic.
It is an interesting fact that in early Rolfing sessions the chakras appeared to be uneven,
small, low in frequency and amplitude and with indiscriminate or dark primary colors. As the
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technique continued the chakras became large, even in size, and of lighter color, while the
wave forms were of higher amplitude and frequency. Some chakras which had been closed,
opened, producing kaleidoscopic color effects, such as dark blue, yellow, red-orange and
olive green. By the fifth hour of Rolfing all subjects had a clear blue aura. By the seventh and
eighth hours the colors were predominantly light and blended, for example, peach, pink, ice
blue and cream. Higher frequencies were associated with pleasant experiences.
Developing our psyche
Hunt's research is important at several levels. It firstly supports the claims of yogis and
psychics that other levels of perception, more subtle and yet intimately connected with the
physical body, do in fact exist. Though it has been called extrasensory perception it appears
rather to be an extension of the normal range of perception of physical events into the more
subtle.
According to yogis, development of ajna chakra and the pineal/thalamic area of the brain,
plus relaxed concentration of mind, allows us to see things which most of us miss because of
gross physical and mental tensions and a dissipated, distracted state of mind. There is nothing
miraculous, abnormal or supernormal about psychic phenomena. Most of us just do not look
at things long enough to allow the subtle to register in our brains. We see something and
are immediately distracted, thinking that there is nothing else to see or learn from a situation.
But if we take our time we can learn, much more.
We know that vision is our major information processing system and therefore tied into
many other neurological systems. Defects in the visual system are now linked to other
problems such as allergies, anxiety, insomnia, postural problems, and a whole range of
physical and psychological problems. (8) Connecticut optometrist Albert Shankman is quoted
as saying "The skill of seeing relationships is a principal object of visual training. Visual
training is essentially brain training." (9) Shankman and others have observed that visual flow
and flexibility are associated with a more flexible, creative thought style.
Yoga follows the same principle, for example in trataka, an essential component of
kundalini yoga. Trataka teaches us to gaze at things without preconceptions and to allow the
information to impinge on our brains, to allow the connections time to come together and the
inner knowledge, the processed information within the brain, time to formulate itself fully and
rise up to the conscious plane. This is what yogis mean when they say that yoga balances the
external and the internal, the right and left sides of the brain, ida and pingala, and awakens
faculties that lie dormant within us all but which we do not know exist and which we do not
develop.
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Psychic vision, a side-effect of kundalini yoga and part of the awakening of intuition, inner
vision and inner knowledge, is one of these capacities. All it means is that we are relaxed and
we take our time to look at things without preconception. Hunt's research verifies that this
faculty is not a myth and not confined just to yogis practising sadhana for years in isolation in
the Himalayas, but is also verifiable within the confines of a laboratory.
Verifying the chakras
The work of Motoyama and Hunt points to the fact that within the physical body there are
locations which, though they may not have any obvious physical or structural demarcation,
have definite functional characteristics which differentiate from other parts of the body. It
verifies the fact that the yogic descriptions of these points correspond to physical emanations
in the case of Motoyama's research and psychic emanations in the case of Hunt's research.
We see then that the chakra locations have both a physical component and a psychic
component. This scientific description fits the yogic definition of chakras as vortices of
energy, the interacting points of the most powerful psychic and physical forces which control
our total human existence. The studies also confirm that the traditional chakra locations, when
activated, are related to emanations of light and color, and to emotions and experiences which
are subtle and usually stored in the subconscious mind, beyond our usual conscious capacity.
When we concentrate and focus psychic energy, chitta shakti, on the chakra, or if we
manipulate the areas of the body under its control, by asana or massage, for example, we can
stimulate activity at both the physical and psychic levels of that center.
What lies at the basis of these energy emanations at the neurological and mental levels,
how these forces interact to control our psychophysiology, behavior and experience, still
requires much more research. What we do know is that the concept of chakras has a definite
psychophysiological foundation, that they affect our body, emotions and mind, and that they
produce both physical and psychic energy which can be measured and quantified. There is
something within the body of man, which yogis called chakra, awaiting our discovery and
awakening.
1. Motoyama, H., "A Psychophysiological Study of Yoga", Instit. for Religious Psyckol.,
Tokyo, 1976, 6.
2. Motoyarna, H., "The Mechanism Through Which Paranormal Phenomena Take Place",
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Instit. for Religion & Parapsych., Tokyo, 1975, 2.
3. Motoyama, H., "An Electro physiological Study of Prana (Ki)", Res. for Religion &
Parapsych., 4 (i), 1978.
4. Motoyama, H., Theories of the Chakras: Bridge to Higher Consciousness, Quest,
Illinois, 1981. pp. 271-279.
5. Ibid, p. 275.
6. Ibid, p. 279.
7. "Electronic Evidence of Auras, Chakras in UCLA Study," Brain Mind Bulletin, 3(9),
March 20,1978.
8. "Vision Training Provides Window to Brain Changes", Brain Mind Bulletin, 7(13), Oct.
25, 1982.
9. Ibid.
Chapter 8
The Cosmic Trigger
We stand on the shores of a vast universe which continues to amaze us and inspire us with
awe and wonder every time a new discovery is made. Despite recent developments in rockets,
computers, atomic power and other marvels of science, we are painfully ignorant of the world
in which we live. We are even more ignorant of our inner universe which for some reason we
have forgotten about and ignore, despite a pressing inner need to uncover the truth of our
existence.
Since the concept of kundalini has been introduced in the west, various groups of scientific
and yogic minded people have sought to understand and explain this phenomenon which
promises to be our rocketship into inner space, to lift us out of the confines and limitations of
time and space so as to experience ourselves as we really are. Strangely enough, this inner
experience also promises to unveil many of the outer mysteries baffling scientists and
researchers in many fields today.
Recent developments in neurophysiology and meditation research have outlined a possible
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explanation for kundalini which unifies both its physical and psychic aspects. This research
outlines a comprehensive approach to understanding how meditation can release energies
within our nervous system, unlocking latent capacities and speeding up our evolution at both
the physical and consciousness levels. This allows us to perceive the universe from a new and
broader perspective, to see things from a more total point of view and to understand more
about life and ourselves.
The pbysio-kundalini syndrome
One researcher who developed an ingenious method to measure bodily changes during
meditation and the awakening of kundalini, is Itzhak Bentov. In his book Stalking the Wild
Pendulum he has set out an original and very yogic understanding of consciousness and
matter, one which can very neatly explain kundalini from the point of view of physics. He
also discusses a model by which we can understand the kundalini experience in physiological
terms.
Bentov states that "the human nervous system has a tremendous latent capacity for
evolution. This evolution can be accelerated by meditative techniques, or it can occur
spontaneously in an unsuspecting individual. In both cases, a sequence of events is triggered,
causing sometimes strong and unusual bodily reactions and unusual psychological states.
Some of those people who meditate may suspect that these reactions are somehow connected
with meditation. Others, however, who develop these symptoms spontaneously may panic and
seek medical advice... Unfortunately, however, western medicine is presently not equipped to
handle these problems. Strangely, in spite of the intensity of the symptoms, little or no
physical patholcgy can be found." (1)
Bentov estimates, on the basis of discussions with psychiatrists, that as many as 25 or 30
percent of all institutionalized schizophrenics belong to this category, a tremendous waste of
human potential. There is a vast area of the human psyche which we are totally ignorant of,
which we do not experience consciously in our lives, and which we are therefore helpless to
deal with adequately if something goes wrong. Bentov feels that symptoms do not occur in
the healthy, relaxed state but only when energy reaches tensions m the body. This agrees with
the yogic view that we must prepare ourselves for awakening by a long period of preparatory
sadhana to avoid unpleasant results.
Bentov states that we urgently need modes that will allow us to understand kundalini in
terms which make sense to us. As a result of this need Bentov has delineated a unique and
brilliant model of the meditation/kundalini process so that doctors, psychiatrists and
psychotherapists can become aware of this possibility and develop more benign methods of
dealing with this situation. More knowledge about the physical basis of spiritual knowledge is
required in medical and scientific circles in order to expand our concept of man.
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Measuring the waves in the brain
As we start to practise meditation we initially experience its calming, relaxing and
stabilizing effects. Prolonged practice, and especially the more vigorous forms of meditative
practice take us far beyond these preliminary changes which many modern researchers have
been stressing as the main aim and effect of meditation. After some time, actual
psychophysiological changes take place and amongst these there is a change in the mode of
functioning of our nervous system.
In order to measure these changes Bentov used a modified ballistocardiograph, a machine
which measures small body motions accompanying the motion of blood through the
circulatory system. (2) "A subject sits on a chair between two metal plates, one above the
head and one under the seat, 5 to 10 centimeters from the body. The two plates of the
capacitor are part of a tuned circuit. The movement of the subject will modulate the field
between the two plates. The signal is processed and fed into a single channel recorder which
registers both the motion of the chest due to respiration and the movement of the body
reacting to the motion of the blood in the heart-aorta system." (3)
Bentov states that the spinal cord can be thought of as a spring which, during meditation,
reacts to the movement of blood into the heart and circulatory system. The heart pumps blood
into the large blood vessel called the aorta. The aorta is curved on top (at the level of the
bottom of the neck) and bifurcated at the bottom (in the lower abdomen). Every time blood
enters the aorta it moves upward towards the head and this gives a minute upward push to the
upper part of the body. The blood then moves downward to strike the bifurcation of the aorta,
gently pushing the body downward. This movement is called micromotion and the movement
recorded on the ballistocardiograph is only in the order of 0.003 to 0.009 millimeters, a very
minute amount.
This gentle upward and downward movement has the tendency to oscillate the whole
body, spine and skull up and down. The natural rhythm of this oscillation is 7 cycles/second
(7 Hertz, Hz). Of course in the normal situation we do not feel such minute micromotion,
however, in the deep stillness of profound meditation even the slightest and most subtle
movement of the body or thought creates ripples within the nervous system which, to our
introverted consciousness, become magnified and disturb inward progress.
Yogis have always stressed that the most important preliminary ingredient for meditation
is to develop a straight and strong spinal cord through asana and to gradually develop stillness
of the body, nervous system and mind through pranayama.Through Bentov's model we can
now see that this is because immobility of body, breath and mind sets the stage for the
production of rhythmic waves within the spine, skull and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
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When subjects are in a deep meditative state, Bentov's machine measures an almost pure,
regular, S-shaped sine wave of large amplitude and moving at approximately 7 cycles/second.
This is opposed to an irregular wave in the baseline resting state before and after meditation.
Something happens in meditation which does not normally occur in most of our waking,
dreaming or sleeping lives. At the same time we enter a hypometabolic state in which our
breathing rate slows down and the oxygen need of our tissues lessens. We should note that it
is also possible to produce a sine wave on the ballistocardiograph by stopping our breath,
however, we quickly develop oxygen deficiency and have to overbreathe to restore balance.
In meditation, however, this does not occur; we are balanced at all levels.
The oscillating circuits
The up and down movement of the body produced by the heart during meditation affects
the brain which is floating in its protective bony and fluid casing, the cranium and CSF.
According to Bentov, this micromotion up and down sets up acoustical and possible electrical
plane waves reverberating in the skull. Mechanical stimulation may be converted into
electrical vibrations.
The acoustical plane waves are focused within the third and lateral ventricles, small cavelike, CSF filled structures deep within the brain. The plane waves activate and drive standing
waves into the ventricles. While the body stays in meditation, the frequency of waves within
the ventricles of the brain will remain locked to the heart/aorta pulsation. Bentov felt that
these vibrations within the brain are responsible for the sounds yogis hear in meditation. This
aspect of meditation is called nada yoga, listening to and following the inner sounds, and is
said to herald the coming of kundalini.
The loop circuit
According to Bentov the standing waves in the ventricles are within the audio and
superauditory ranges. They stimulate the cerebral cortex mechanically, eventually resulting in
a stimulus travelling in a closed loop around each hemisphere. The lateral ventricle lies just
under the corpus callosum, the part of the brain connecting the two cerebral hemispheres. The
roof of the lateral ventricle acts as the taut skin on a drum which moves rapidly up and down
and thereby produces mechanical waves in the ventricles which stimulate the sensory cortex
lying just above the corpus callosum.
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We can understand the effect of this stimulation by looking at the diagram of the cross
section of the brain (see figure 3). Waves would commence at number 1 and travel down to
number 22 and back to number 1 again creating a loop circuit. As the current returns to the
starting point it stimulates the pleasure centers in the various areas of the brain which
surround the lateral ventricle, such as in the cingulate gyrus, lateral hypothalamus,
hippocampus and amygdala areas, all part of the limbic system, and this may give rise to the
bliss and ecstasy reported by meditators whose shakti awakens. The sensory current travels
around the cortex at about 7 cycles per second.
Figure 3
Gross section of the brain revealing the sensory cortex and indicating the areas of the body
as mapped along the post central gyms. This is called the sensory homunculus - the symbolic
man lying within the brain. After: Pennfield and Rassmussen, The Human Cerebral Cortex,
MacMillan, New York, 1950.
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1. toes
2. ankles
3. knee
4. hip
5. trunk
6. shoulder
1. elbow
8. wrist
9. hand
10. little finger
11. ring finger
12. middle finger
13. index finger
14. thumb
15. neck
16. brow
17. eyelid and eyeball
18. face
19. lips
20. jaw
21. tongue
22. larynx
Bentov theorizes that stimulation of the corpus callosum will in turn stimulate the sensory
cortex to produce the sensations of something moving in the body from the feet, up the spine,
up over the head and then down the abdomen and pelvis. It is this experience which many
people associate with the awakening of kundalini.
The experience of movement in the spine and body has been reported in many cases of the
awakening of shakti or energy within the nervous and nadi systems. From areas as far apart as
India, China, Africa and America, the symptoms are often similar if not the same. Energy is
felt to rise upward and these sensations must be handled in progressive sequence in the
sensory cortex. We can also theorize that if we sit in padmasana (lotus pose) or siddhasana
(adept pose) that we may short-circuit the sensations in the legs so that we subjectively
experience the movement as commencing in or near mooladhara.
In normal situations, motor and sensory impulses usually travel in straight lines, either into
or out of the brain and via the thalamus. However, in meditation we introvert and cut
ourselves off from outside stimulation (pratyahara). This also tends to develop a loop circuit.
We should note that sensory signals corne to the cortex through the thalamus, the area of
the brain in front of the pineal gland that we can associate with the highest functioning of ajna
chakra. And it is said that ajna chakra must be stimulated if kundalini is rising because of its
direct connection to mooladhara.
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Bentov felt that the movement of waves through the cortex is responsible for the effects of
the awakened kundalini and for internal experience. From our point of view this may not be
the actual kundalini experience, which transcends all bodily sensations, but would correspond
to the awakening of prana shakti which ultimately leads to the kundalini experience. The
gradual development of the brain may take many years before the loop circuit and the various
connections develop, and enough energy can be generated to actually stimulate all the circuits
involved and required.
Psychic circuits
As a result of the circular currents in the brain, Bentov states that a pulsating magnetic
field is produced in each hemisphere of the order of 10 minus 9 gauss. On the right side of the
brain the field is from front to back, north to south, and on the left side south to north. This
would correspond to ida and pingala at this level of body energy. Bentov feels that the
interaction of these waves with the environment may be responsible for the psychic
experiences which are often felt as a byproduct of systematic and deep yogic sadhana. He
states, "This magnetic field - radiated by the head acting as an antenna - interacts with the
electric and magnetic fields already in the environment. We may consider the head as
simultaneously a transmitting and receiving antenna, tuned to a particular one of the several
resonant frequencies of the brain. Environmental fields may thus be fed back to the brain, thus
modulating that resonant frequency. The brain will interpret this modulation as useful
information."(4)
It is interesting to note that the rhythmic magnetic pulsation of the brain which is set up in
meditation at 7 cycles/second is almost the same as Earth's magnetic pulsation whose
doughnut-shaped field has a strength of 0.5 gauss. These extra low frequency (ELF) waves
have a predominant frequency of about 7 1/2 cycles per second, and this is called the
Schumann resonance. Another interesting point is that the brain wave frequency of 7
cycles/second is the region between alpha waves and theta waves. This is the borderline
between waking and sleeping, where we are most relaxed, and if we can stay awake in
meditation, sets the brain up for creativity and intuition. It is the time we are most psychically
receptive. Professor Michael Persinger of the Laurentian University Psychophysiology
Laboratory hypothesizes that ELF waves may serve as the carriers for information connected
with psychic phenomena. (5) This fits in with Bentov's theory that our brain's magnetic pulse
of 7 cycles/second resonates with the environment to either transmit or receive information.
The five oscillating systems
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Up to this point Bentov tells us there are five oscillating systems tuned to each other:
1. the heart-aorta system producing an oscillation in the spine and skull of 7 cycles/second
which accelerates
2. the skull and brain up and down, producing acoustical plane waves (KHz frequencies)
which create
3. standing waves within the ventricles of the brain in the audio and above ranges which
stimulate
4. a loop circuit in the sensory cortex at 7 cycles/second which result in
5. a magnetic field of opposite polarity, pulsating at 7 cycles/second, and interacting with
the environmental fields, especially the ELF field resonating at about 7 1/2 cycles/second.
As we meditate over a prolonged period, we begin to progress and lock in more and more
of these systems so that eventually all the systems of the brain begin to harmonize and
resonate at around the same frequency. We can speculate that this ultimately unifies the whole
brain and results in unlocking of our dormant potential, a quantum leap to a new field of
experience that yogis tell us is powered by the explosive release of kundalini. Yogis state
that if we can sit still for three hours, completely immobile and aware, we will awaken
our internal energies and enter into samadhi. Bentov's model explains this.
Another interesting point is that Bentov feels that these changes in the brain most probably
start in the right hemisphere, because many meditative practices develop the non-verbal,
feeling, intuitive, spatial, right brain, balancing out the almost constant dominance of the
logical, reasoning, rational, linearly-thinking left brain in our day-to-day extrovert, tensionfilled, energy-demanding existence. He came to this conclusion because many meditators he
talked to felt their experiences started on the left side of their bodies which is governed by the
right brain. (6) This agrees with the work of D'Aquili who posits that inner experience is
governed by activity in the right brain (7)
Kindling the kundalini
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We know that a log on a low flame is likely to blaze up suddenly on its own, even after the
original fire goes out. A threshold point is reached and internal reactions take over
spontaneously. The same mechanisms are thought to occur in the nervous system to lead up to
a series of events analogous to the kindling of wood. Scientists are using this model to explain
such diverse phenomena as everyday learning memory, epilepsy, the radical mood swings of
manic depression and kundalini.
The kindling phenomenon was first identified by C. V. Goddard and his associates at
Waterloo University in Canada in 1969. (8) They observed that repeated, periodic, lowintensity electrical stimulation of animal brains leads to stronger brain activity, particularly in
the limbic system, the part of the brain that handles emotions. For example, stimulating the
amygdala (part of the limbic system) once daily, for half a second, has no effect at first, but
after two or three weeks, produces convulsions. Goddard also observed that kindling can
cause relatively permanent changes in brain excitability. Animals can have seizures for as
long as a year after the initial kindling period.
According to John Gaito of York University, over a period of time the bursts of electrical
activity kindle similar patterns in adjacent brain regions. (9) Also the threshold is
progressively lowered so that smaller doses of electricity trigger convulsions.
It should be understood that mild continuous electrical stimulation does not cause
kindling, rather it causes adaptation and tolerance. The stimulation must be intermittent,
preferably every 24 hours, to be effective. Robert Post found that kindling can also be induced
by drugs such as cocaine or other anesthetics which stimulate the limbic system. (10) He
found that using these stimulants led to changes of behavior such as increased aggression.
Apart from providing a model for epilepsy, which we know is sometimes associated with
mystical insight, and psychosis, which can be thought of as prematurely awakened kundalini
activity in one of the chakras, kindling can explain how meditation exerts its effects on our
brain and psyche. According to Marilyn Ferguson, "Analogies of the kindling effect and
meditation effects - especially of the dramatic kundalini phenomena - are interesting.
Obviously, most human subjects don't percieve their experiences as pathological, although
they may be somewhat unnerving. The effects typically occur after a history of regular
meditation and in an unthreatening setting. There is no onset of seizures in the classic sense,
and the nervous system effects appear to be positive over the long run." (11)
Bernard Gluek of the Hartford Institute of Living speculates that mantra meditation might
set off a resonance effect in the limbic brain. (12) Mantra repetition is the most obvious form
of meditation to be analogous to kindling, however, if we look at Bentov's model, any form
which involves sitting absolutely motionless and developing introspection will do the same.
According to Bentov, the loop circuit in the sensory cortex set up by sitting immobile in
meditation may stimulate the pleasure centers in the amygdala, the part of the brain most
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amenable to kindling. This would, over a period of time, lead to permanent changes within the
nervous system in an ongoing and progressive manner. This is the aim of meditation and all
masters of yoga and the inner arts and sciences tell us that for success, the most important
ingredient is regularity of practice and persistence. Whether our experiences in meditation are
good or bad is of no consequence. They are all just steps on the way to higher experience, part
of the process of preparation for kundalini awakening.
Two important points should be noted about kindling. The first is that it induces relatively
permanent changes and the second is that it increases activity in the brain. It steps up the
energy processes. This fits in with the theory that meditation can energize the nadis so as to
send energy to various centers to awaken higher functions within those centers in order to take
them to a higher octave of activity by supplying them with a better energy source.
Meditation and the brain
When studying kundalini we must remember that there are as many methods to awaken it
as there are people practising, in fact there may be more methods than people. The four basic
methods studied by modern research are raja yoga, kriya yoga, zazen and
transcendental meditation. Basically these techniques involve one or more of the following:
sitting, breath awareness, and mantra. Yogis normally divide meditation into either the
relaxation type or concentration type of practice. However, we also know that whichever
technique we choose we will have to first develop relaxation and then allow the internal
process to unfold.
Most of the brain research into meditation has focused on brain waves, which are divided
into four main groups and which can be generalized as follows :
1. beta: extroversion, concentration, logic-orientated thought, worry and tension.
2. alpha: relaxation, drowsiness.
3. theta: dreaming, creativity.
4. delta: deep sleep.
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The majority of meditation techniques have shown that meditators, however, usually
develop relaxation in meditation, with alpha waves being predominant and occasional runs of
theta waves, which are different to those seen in sleep, occurring in more advanced
meditators. (13-15) This result, the basis of meditation's use in such psychosomatic diseases
as high blood pressure and in anxiety, has probably arisen because of either the use of
relaxing techniques or because the meditators were mainly novices.
Occasionally, in the laboratory, a researcher stumbles on findings which seem to run
contrary to the claims of meditation as a relaxation method. In this situation the meditator
moves through the usual relaxation process, sinking into alpha and theta. However, at this
point something startling happens. He again develops beta waves, despite the fact that he is
introverted, and these are usually big, rhythmic, synchronized high amplitude waves, unlike
the normal small amplitude found in the random chaotic brain waves of normal subjects.
This occurrence was first seen in 1955 by Das and Gastant who studied kriya yoga. (16) It
was later seen and confirmed by Banquet, who studied transcendental meditation and found
that after the theta waves, rhythmic beta waves were produced, present over the whole scalp
and "the most striking topographical alteration was the synchronization of anterior and
posterior channels." (17) The whole brain was pulsating synchronously, rhythmically and in
an integrated fashion. This was subjectively experienced as deep meditation or transcendence.
Banquet states that, "We must deduce, therefore, that the EEG changes of meditation are
independent of the interaction between the subject and the outer world but produced by the
specific mental activity of the practice. The initiation of the loop between cortex, thalamocortical coordinating system and subcortical generators... could account for the different
alterations." (18) This agrees with Bentov's theory of a loop circuit being responsible for the
kundalini experience.
Levine, studying transcendental meditation, confirmed Banquet's findings of coherence
and synchronization of brain waves, both within each cerebral hemisphere from front to back
and between both hemispheres. (19) Corby and his associates found that using tantric
meditation there was arousal of the nervous system rather than relaxation. (20) The episode of
sudden autonomic nervous system activation was characterized by the meditator as
approaching the yogic ecstatic state of intense concentration. Corby's subjects experienced:
rushes of energy; chills, laughter, changing and varied emotions; early life flashes; total
energy absorption; yearning to be one with the object of ideation; a great sense of merger and
understanding of experience and its meaning. (21i) Corby's meditators meditated, on the
average, for more than three hours per day and used more advanced techniques than usually
studied in the laboratory.
Kundalini in the laboratory
360
Though it may be difficult, if not impossible, to record the actual kundalini experience in
the laboratory (either because such advanced meditators do not usually talk about their
experiences, or because the laboratory setting and environment is not correct, or because our
machinery might interfere with or explode under the force of the actual experience), the
research findings do tend to support Bentov's and the kindling model for kundalini.
In the studies of meditation in which activation of the nervous system was found, there
was generalized coherence and integration of the brain and/or blissful, ecstatic experiences.
The experiences of awakening of shakti recorded within the laboratory setting and their
physiological correlates agree with the yogic theory that awakening takes place in mooladhara
chakra and travels up to ajna chakra, affecting the deep, primitive, animalistic and energizing
circuits within the R-complex and limbic system of the brain, near the medulla oblongata.
Energy flows from here to the thalamus to stimulate all the areas of the cerebral cortex
simultaneously and thereby creates a loop circuit which gradually awakens latent and unused
activity within other areas of the brain. The whole brain begins to pulse as a single unit as
energy pours into the central controlling area of ajna chakra.
We can understand that as we progress in meditation, we set the stage for the eventual
awakening of shakti within the nadis, chakras and brain. An explosion occurs as we reach the
threshold required for kindling to take place. Once we reach this concentrated, integrated
state, neurological circuits take over and spontaneously begin to stimulate themselves so that
the energy liberated awakens new centers in the brain, creating a transformed state of
awareness and being at a new and higher level of energy. The process of awakening of shakti
has begun. From this point on, as long as we continue our practice, the process of unfoldment
continues because once kindling has taken place the effects are relatively permanent. We
develop more and more purity and strength, so that we can handle the internal experiences as
they arise for longer and longer periods of time, until final awakening of kundalini takes
place.
1. Bentov, I., Stalking the Wild Pendulum, Fontana, Great Britain, 1979, p. 174.
2. Bentov, I., "Micromotion of the Body as a Factor in the Development of the Nervous
System", Appendix A in Kundalini - Psychosis or Transcendence? by Lee Sannella, San
Francisco, 1976, pp. 71-92.
3. Ibid, p. 73.
4. Ibid, p. 73.
5. Satyamurti, S., "Frame Mind Field", Yoga, 15 (6); 29-37. June, 1977.
6. Bentov, I., op. cit., p. 180.
7. Black, M., ''Brain Flash; The Physiology of Inspiration", Science Digest, August, 1982.
8. Post, R.M., "Kindling: A Useful Aualogy for Brain Reactions", Psychology Today,
August, 1980, p. 92.
9. Gaito, J., Psychological Bulletin, 83; 1097-1109.
361
10. Post, op. cit.
11. Ferguson, M., "Kindling and Kundalmi Effects", Brain Mind Bulletin, 2 (7), Feb, 21,
1977.
12. Ibid.
13. Wallace, R.K. and Benson, H., "The Physiology of Meditation", Scient. Am. 226 (2):
84-90, Feb, 1972.
14. Anand, B.K., Chhina, G.S., Singh, B, "Some Aspects of EEG Studies in Yoga", EEG
& Clin. Neurophys; 13: 452-456, 1961.
15. Kasamatsu, A. & Hirai, T., "An EEG Study of the Zen Meditation", Folia Psychiat. et
Neurologica Japonica, 20 (4): 315-336, 1966.
16. Das, N. & Gastaut, H.. "Variations de l'activite electrique du cerveau, du coeur, et des
muscles squelettiques au course de la meditation et de l'extase yoguie." EEG & Clin.
Neurophys. Sup. 6, 211-219, 1955.
17. Banquet, J.P., "Spectral Analysis of the EEG in Meditation", EEG & Clin. Neurophys.,
35: 143.
18. Ibid, p. 150.
19. Levine, H., Herbert, J.R., Haynes, G.T., Strobel, U., "EEG Coherence During the TM
Technique", In Sci. Res. on the T. M. Program, Collected Papers, Vol. I, (Ed) D.W. OrmeJohnson & J.T. Farrow, pp. 187-207, Meru Press: West Germany.
20. Gorby, J.G., Roth, W.T., Zarcone, V.P., Kopell, B.S., "Psychophysiological Correlates
of the Practice of Tantric Yoga Meditation", Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 35 ; 571-577, May, 1978.
21. Corby, J.G, "Reply to Dr Elson", Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 36 : 606. 1979.
Chapter 9
Cross-cultural Evidence
Kundalini is a transcendental phenomena, one which lies outside of time and space. We
cannot understand how powerful the experience of kundalini awakening really is, but we can
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see its effects on our lives and the effect that awakening has had in terms of changes and
functioning of society and various cultures. For example, the effect of kundalini awakening is
said by many researchers and yogis to be at the basis of the experiences had by Christ,
Buddha, Krishna, Rama and other great religious and spiritual figures from history.
While researchers continue to scientifically probe the phenomena itself, its components, its
related events and ramifications and its ability to affect machines, another type of researcher
is examining the phenomena in its social setting and anthropologically. As a universal
phenomena we can see kundalini everywhere, in every culture and at all times. John White
states:
"Although the word kundalini comes from the yogic tradition nearly all the world's major
religions, spiritual paths and genuine occult traditions see something akin to the kundalini
experience as having significance in divinizing a person. The word itself may not appear in
the traditions, but the concept is there nevertheless, wearing a different name yet recognizable
as a key to attaining a God-like stature." (1)
Altered states
Kundalini induces an altered state of consciousness (ASC), that is, it takes us to realms of
inner experience beyond those normally accessible to modern man. Arnold M. Ludwig writes,
"Beneath man's thin veneer of consciousness lies a relatively uncharted realm of mental
activity, the nature and function of which have been neither systematically explored or
adequately conceptualized." (2)
Ludwig and other ASC researchers cite daydreaming, sleep and dreams, hypnosis, sensory
deprivation, psychosis, hysterical states of dissociation and depersonalization,
pharmacologically induced mental aberrations, sleeplessness, fasting and meditation as
examples of ASCs. Anything can induce an ASC, any place or event can trigger a change in
consciousness, however, usually we have to manoeuvre ourselves or use some agent to bypass
the so-called "normal" functioning of the brain. We can say that our normal state of
consciousness is the one in which we spend most of our waking lives.
There are many people, however, who believe that the state of consciousness most people
exist in is very limited and fixed, itself a retarded, degenerate and unhealthy state which
induces fear of change, neurosis and disease. In terms of our inner experiences we are like
retarded dwarfs, like the flea kept under a glass who, after hitting its head on the glass a
number of times, ceases to jump hundreds of times its own height but rather, even when the
glass is removed, continues to hop at a reduced capacity far below its innate potential. Yogis
claim that we are like the flea, pathetic shadows of our former selves and far less than
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our potential, confined by vague fears and illusions, ghosts and memories in the mind.
We are much more than we think we are.
The kundaiini experience is at the peak of human evolution. It is the absolute and final
state attainable by man, the experience in which he realises and merges with his pristine
glory; the ultimate ASC. All other experiences fall short of this and are mere stepping-stones
on the way, making up the repertoire of our lesser human lives. The real yogi or swami is the
master of all realms of consciousness and can move into and out of any state he wants at will,
depending on the degree of his skill and mastery. Various cultures have developed ways and
means to attain these different realms of consciousness, each varying in its capacity to do so.
According to Erica Bourguignon, an anthropologist at Ohio State University, 90% of
human societies practise some kind of institutionalized ritual to achieve altered states of
consciousness. (3) For example, there is the solitary-vision quest of Sioux warriors, the
hallucinogen-powered flights of South American shaman, the dream oracles of the Senoi
people of Malaysia, the tribal dances of the Samo people of New Guinea, and the whirling
dances of the Sufi dervish, to name but a few of the better known societies.
In the west we use alcohol and drugs, revival meetings, rock concerts and discotheques
with their mind and logic numbing, trance-inducing, mega-decibel music and "tribal" dance.
Are we so far from "primitive" societies? Bourguignon wonders. "The fact that they are nearly
universal must mean that such states are very important to human beings." The need for
attaining higher states of consciousness seems to be as basic as the need for eating or
sleeping.
Somehow we have forgotten at our conscious, normal level of consciousness, that we have
immense potential and that we can achieve bliss, knowledge and inner experiences which are
more satisfying than the monotonous, humdrum existence we lead at present. Somewhere in
our subconscious minds, at another level of consciousness, we know that something is
missing and this knowledge nags at us. We want to get away from it all, to have a holiday
(from the root for Holy day). From this there arises an instinctive and irrepressible urge and
drive to fulfil ourselves and to attain higher and better states and experiences, though we may
often fail to achieve them or real inner satisfaction. The alcohol ritual is one example of a
self-defeating and destructive attempt to achieve true joy and inner bliss.
It appears that our methods are incorrect for attaining inner fulfillment, satisfaction and
security. We have lost the keys and can no longer gain access to the higher and
transcendental. We have been thrown out of the garden of Eden. It is for this reason that so
many people have turned to yoga, meditation and the transcendental sciences for the means
and techniques to enlarge their repertoire of experience and to attain insight into themselves
and reality.
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Kundalini, a universal phenomenon
Reports have come from all over the world indicating that there is a psychophysiological
phenomenon which exists outside of the barriers of social, cultural, religious, geographical
and temporal boundaries and which resembles the phenomenon called kundalini by the yogis
and sages of India.
In Northwest Botswana, Africa, the !Kung people of the Kalahari desert dance for many
hours to heat up the n|um so that the !kia state can be obtained. This state of transcendence
resembles that in many yogic texts on kundalini in which states of consciousness beyond the
ordinary and participation in eternity are described. One tribesman reports that, "You dance,
dance, dance, dance. Then the n|um lifts you in your belly and lifts you in your back, and then
you start to shiver... it's hot. Your eyes are open but you don't look around; you hold your eyes
still and look straight ahead. But when you get into !kia you're looking around because you
see everything..." (4)
Judith Cooper writes about the !Kung: "In one of the darker corners of the Dark Continent
the !Kung people of the Kalahari keep in touch with the gods. Two or three nights a week the
men dance around a fire, graceful as leopards, to the sonorous drone of the women's chants.
Soon the mood turns solemn, and the night air swells with unseen presences. Sweat rolls
down the dancers' bodies like sweet rain, as the n|um, the healing power, starts to boil. The
moment of transcendence is painful. When the inner fire shoots from their bellies up their
spines, the dancers shiver and tremble, fall to the ground or go rigid as stone. Some of them
dance into the fire and out again, perfect as gods, their feet unburned. They can see into the
essence of things now, even into the insides of other people, where malignant ghosts feed on
diseased livers or prevent the conception of sons. Laying their healing hands on the sick, they
bid the n|um to drive out the forces of darkness." (5)
In the Chinese Taoist tradition it is said that when prana or chi, the vital principle, has
accumulated in the lower belly, it bursts out and begins to flow in the main psychic channels
causing involuntary movements and sensations such as pain, itching, coldness, warmth,
weightlessness, heaviness, roughness, smoothness, internal lights and sound and the feeling of
inner movement. It may cause the body to brighten and even illuminate a dark room. Yin Shih
Tsu reported that he felt heat travel from the base of the spine to the top of the head and then
down over his face and throat to his stomach. (6)
These kinds of reports tally exactly with the experiences of yogis who describe kundalini
as travelling up the spine with heat and light or with the surging energy of a snake preparing
to strike. A classical description of kundalini from the yogic tradition comes from Swami
Narayananda:
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"There is a burning up the back and over the whole body. Kundalini's entrance into
sushumna occurs with pain in the back... One feels a creeping sensation from the toes and
sometimes it shakes the whole body. The rising is felt like that of an ant creeping up slowly
over the body towards the head. Its ascent is felt like the wiggling of a snake or a bird hopping
from place to place." (7) This also sounds very much like the description of the so-called
"primitive" people of the !Kung tribe in the Kalahari desert in Africa.
In medieval Spain, St. Theresa of Avila described her experience, which yogis call the
awakening of nada, the manifestation of transcendental consciousness as sound. "The noises
in my head are so loud that I am beginning to wonder what is going on in it... My head sounds
just as if it were full of brimming rivers... and a host of little birds seem to be whistling, not in
the ears, but in the upper part of the head, where the higher part of the soul is said to be; I
have held this view for a long time, for the spirit seems to move upward with great velocity."
(8)
Conclusion
All of the above are classical kundalini type experiences, but they have occurred in
different geographical locations and different times in history, because kundalini is not
dependent on time and space. However, few cultures have documented the kundalini
experience so well or consistently as the sages in India. The Indian culture seems to have been
ripe to allow the yogic sciences to be preserved, cultivated and revered. As a result, a sublime
philosophy has emerged and has been recorded in many books, a few of which have come
down to us through the ravages of time and history. Books such as the Bhagavad Gita, the
yogic texts such as Yoga Vashishta and Hatha Toga Pradipika, and the sublime beauty of the
books of the Upanishads and Vedanta, which have inspired many of the great men and
women of history from all over the world, are testaments to the existence of a once great
culture. Sophisticated maps of consciousness, charts to allow us to enter the sublime bliss of
altered states of consciousness and meditative experience, myriad techniques and processes
and untold words and books for guidance have emerged and have been handed down over
thousands of years. Nowhere else has the kundalini experience been so well, richly or
scientifically recorded in all its sublimity and variation.
Swami Vivekananda sums up the whole question of kundalini as a universal phenomena
when he states, "When by the power of long internal meditation, the vast mass of energy
stored up, travels along the sushumna and strikes the chakras, the reaction is immensely more
intense than any reaction of sense perception. Wherever there was any manifestation of what
is ordinarily called supernatural power or wisdom, there a little current of kundalini must have
found its way into the sushumna."
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We see then that an experience exists which is one but which has had a vast impact on
society and culture wherever it has occurred. The experience is one but the names are many.
Yogis call this the awakening of Shakti or kundalini and have developed a vast, intricate,
systematic and progressive science by which they can awaken this power which lies dormant
in each of us and one which can evolve ourselves and society to new and undreamed of
heights of experience and achievement.
1. White, J. (Ed), Kundalini, Evolution and Enlightenment, Archer, New York, 1979, p.
17.
2. Ludwig, A.M., "Altered States of Consciousness", in Altered States of Consciousness,
Tart, G. T. (Ed), Doubleday Anchor, New York, 1972, pp. 11-22.
3. Hooper, J., "Mind Tripping", Omni, Oct. 1982.
4. Katz, R., "Education for Transcendence : Lessons from the !Kung Zhu Jwasi", J.
Transp. Psychol, Nov. 2, I973.
5. Hooper, op. cit.
6. Luk, G., The Secrets of Chinese Meditation, Samuel Weiser Inc., New York, 1972.
7. Narayananda, Swami, The Primal Power in Man, Prasad & Co., Rishikesh, India, 1960.
8. Interior Castle, tr. & ed. E. Allison Peers, Doubleday & Co., New York, 1961, pp. 7778.
Chapter 10
Analysis of the Chakras from a Psychophysiological
Vewpoint
367
A discussion with the swamis of BSY Munger
PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY
Swami Shankardevananda: What are the psycho-dynamics of the chakras?
Swami Vivekananda: From a physiological viewpoint there are aspects of the chakras that
deal with mood, with the mind, aspects dealing with experiences on the psychic plane and
also aspects concerned with the energy turnover of the body and mind.
The brain, which is divided up in terms of its emotions and cognition, can also be divided
into the aspects of the different chakras. It seems to me that from the physiological and
anatomical point of view, the chakras are the sum total of the input and output of the different
segments of the body. The throat (vishuddhi) section deals with perception, especially the
voice. Many of the psychic aspects of this chakra are actually telepathic out; that is,
communication. The chest (anahata) deals mainly with the love aspect. The upper abdomen
(manipura) deals with the assertiveness and drive aspect. The lower abdominal or upper
pelvic area (swadhisthana) deals with the pleasure aspect. The lowest segment (mooladhara),
according to Freud and many yogis who went before him, deals with security, possessions and
material sorts of things.
Consider manipura chakra. It deals with hunger and it is directly connected with hunger
centers in the hypothalamus. It is closely related to the next chakra down, swadhisthana,
which deals with pleasure. The hunger and pleasure centers are adjacent in the posterior part
of the hypothalamus. They are so close to each other that some of the cells actually intertwine
and it is hard to separate which is which. It is interesting to note that when people are sexually
tense and sexually dissatisfied, they start reaching for sweet things - they get hungry, start
putting on weight and all that. This indicates the close interconnection of these two chakras.
There are also what we can call energy circuits involved in these interconnections. These
energies can be directed up or down. If the instincts or desires related to specific areas are not
actually satisfied, then there is a tendency for the energy to build up. We see it especially in
relation to the sexual impulse, which is connected mainly to swadhisthana, and also partly to
mooladhara and manipura. An unfulfilled sexual life at swadhisthana level tends to redirect
368
energy either into the desire for power and dominance at manipura or the neurotic craving for
possessions at mooladhara. Energy is built into this chakra system and all of its connections
with the hypothalamus and the limbic system. The limbic system, amongst other things,
generates a continuity of emotions, and emotions of course motivate action. If there is, for
example, competition, then anger is stirred up within the solar plexus, stomach areas and
related organs, including the adrenal glands. The adrenals, of course, activate a person to fight
if it is over territory or food. Also, adrenalin increases the sugar content in the blood by
breaking down glycogen in the liver, so it keeps the animal going even though it is hungry
and short of food. If necessary, adrenalin will supply the bloodstream with sugar, so that it can
win the fight and get food.
It seems to me that a lot of the physiological energy that is inherent in all these chakra
circuits is this sort of energy. I do not really believe it is energy per se, but I think it is nerve
impulses, for instance in the case of manipura chakra, stimulated by a block in blood glucose
which then activates the stomach and the hunger centers in the hypo thalamus, which then
activates these mechanisms.
Swami Shankardevananda: So you do not believe in a specific localized energy, but a total
body functioning within that circuit. And one circuit becomes dominant if it is neglected or
overactivated.
Swami Vivekananda: Yes. It can be constitutionally dominant in a person too. You see
people who are all manipura chakra - a lot of drive, ambitions and right in there. They are not
sexual people (swadhisthana motivated) and they might not even have a security drive
(mooladhara motivated). I have known many business people and lawyers who dabble here
and there and do it only for the fun of the game. They are just very competitive people.
Everyone says to their wives, 'Well, it must be great to be married to a guy like that', and she
says, 'Ugh' - he has little swadhisthana (sex) or anahata chakra (love) working. He is a bad
husband, but makes a very good provider (manipura).
Swami Shankardevananda: In a study of sociopaths and those people who are fearless,
they found that there is in fact very little difference between them. People who are testing
jetplanes and rocketships and climbing mountains without ropes etc., have fundamentally the
same character as sociopaths.
Swami Vivekananda: If a person's behavior is accepted by society, then he is a hero. If it is
unacceptable he is a psychopath. It reminds me of the old joke that you can murder someone
if the government approves of it. This is interesting because these people have that same kind
of drive. They are driven by an overactive mianipura chakra.
Mooladhara chakra deals principally in security, swadhisthana principally with pleasure,
rnanipura principally with assertiveness, courage and personal power, anahata with love,
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vishuddhi with communication out and also the ability, mainly because of the perception of
our external environment, to feel at home virtually anywhere. It is a state of consciousness
that is inherent in vishuddhi chakra. When it develops to a certain point you can be sitting on
a pile of garbage and still everything is just right. Ajna chakra of course, deals with intellect,
intuition and psychic power (siddhis) such as telepathy.
As well as these qualities within the different chakras there is another parameter, which is
the degree of evolution. Each one of us has these circuits constitutionally energized to
different degrees. One person may have a lot of energization of swadhisthana chakra; that
person is very much pleasure bent, and has perhaps less development at manipura or anahata.
Swami Shankardevananda: This would be very much a hormonal thing depending mainly
on the drive from the hypothalamus.
Swami Vivekananda: That is right. I have not thought very much about what governs the
constitutional factors of it. Each one of us is proportionately energized differently in different
chakra circuits. Each one of us strikes a different chord. There is a different frequency of
energization of the chakras. There are individual differences between each one of us, because
each one of us has different degrees of evolution of the quality of the manifestation of each of
the chakras. A sociopath who goes round beating up old ladies to steal their handbags, and an
astronaut, may have the same chord. They may be identical in the level of activity of each of
the chakras, but the guy who is an astronaut, hopefully, has a higher degree of evolution in
most of his chakras. So these are two important parameters which define the qualities of the
chakras - percentage of activity and degree of evolution. These define the character of each
person.
Swami Shankardevananda: You mentioned that there are chakras which express energy
and certain chakras which take in energy.
Swami Vivekananda: No, what I was saying is that we know these circuits exist in
anatomical form, that there are whole areas down there in the body which do not only trigger
off something up here (in the brain), but are also triggered by something up here. And we
know that there are, for instance, the hunger and the sensual centers in the hypothalamus. We
know that they are directly connected with the relevant organs in the body. As the hunger
builds up, more neuronal activity builds up within those circuits. And if an emotional
component comes into it, it's very likely that other parts of the limbic system will start
generating energy too. You will go rushing around to get something to eat as quickly as
possible. This implies that there is an increased neuronal activity within that circuit.
People talk about energy within those circuits, and they are certain it is an energy. They
say these circuits are energized because when they start getting activated, you can feel
throbbing, shaking, etc. But is it energy like electricity running through a wire, or is it in
actual fact only a message like the electricity running through a telephone wire? The mere fact
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that a person shakes can mean that it is a message that is being transmitted to the muscles and
the muscles do all the shaking.
I tend to prefer the physiological point of view which says that it is neuronal activity; that
is, the nerves and circuits conduct impulses and the muscles create the shaking and energy.
Swami Shankardevananda: But there is energy even in neuronal activity.
Swami Vwekananda: Well, there is, but the energy is produced secondarily to the neuronal
activity. The primary object of the circuit is to convey an impulse. The message is carried and
it uses energy as a carrier in the same way as a telephone uses energy. You would not get a
telephone wire and try to light a 1OO watt bulb, because there is just not enough energy there.
Telephone wires run only on about 2 volts; it is not primarily an energy transmission, but
primarily a message transmission; the energy is a secondary issue and comes from another
source.
Some people, by their nature, have some of these circuits much more activated and
"energized" than others. There are some people who are very much more into the whole
manipura thing. They eat a lot and have big muscles; they are all manipura chakra. You get
anahata people who are very paternal and loving and always sensing other people's feelings,
everywhere they go. The same applies to the other chakras.
Chakra types can be easily seen at a party where there are a whole lot of people around
and you do not know anybody. Then you will see the person who's very much into feelings
will start picking up all over the place who is kind and who is not kind. That is what he
perceives in the environment. He is predominantly an anahata type. A person who's into the
intellectual trip will listen to all the conversations going on and if there is a good intellectual
tone, he will fit into that circle. If a group is talking about football or something like that, he
will go straight past. He will be the vishuddhi/ajna type. Then you will get the manipura chap
who will notice first of all who's in the power scene and he will start associating with that. If
there is no obvious power position, it usually develops towards the end of the night.
Sometimes you will go into a place and say "that is it". It is a special chair and a special place.
Now if you are on a power trip you go and sit there.
The emotional person, when he perceives the scene, is perceiving the feelings around the
place, the swadhisthana chap will be seeing other things such as food, sexual encounters, etc.
Each one of us has a preference in these things, and that preference seems to be to be driven
by energization or activation of those particular circuits which may be predominating. And
some people are balanced and versatile and will fit into any situation. These are the yogic
types.
I think there is an inbuilt rhythm and activation of these particular circuits within the body.
I somehow suspect that we go along on a number of different levels of consciousness at the
same time. Sometimes we have dreams of total experiences of something that is going to
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occur in three or four months time. That means time, instead of being a longitudinal thing, is a
vertical thing. How do we explain that in our neuro-physiological framework ? There are a lot
of experiences that are difficult to explain scientifically. But I don't think that necessarily
means that a physiological explanation is invalid.
These days it is possible to measure certain physical manifestations of chakras and the
dissociated chakras. Maybe you could get a personality break of a person who was obviously
into a certain chakra and test the activation of that chakra. I think the energy around the
chakra is easily explainable in that it is the energy that would be given off by the activated
field.
Swami Shankardevananda: In terms of circuits, certain of the chakras have more receptive
properties, especially in mooladhara and ajna, whilst certain chakras seem to be more
expressive, such as swadhisthana and manipura.
Swami Vivekananda: Probably it is associated with the gyanendriyas and karmendriyas
(sensory and motor nerves).
Swami Shankardevananda: All the chakras must have a dual purpose: there must be a
receptive and an active side to them. It would seem, for example, that ajna is receptive to
psychic and intuitive energy, but it also transmits at the subtle, telepathic level. Vishuddhi
expresses and communicates that intuition at the verbal level, and at the same time expresses
compassion felt through anahata, and also expresses the experiences felt through manipura
and swadhisthana. All chakras have a two-way channel and that is because of ida and pingala.
Swami Vivekananda: I think that vishuddhi expresses the qualities of the other chakras
only as an agent of their quality, because the other chakras will express energy in a different
way. If you are with a person who is loving, especially if you get close, you can feel the love
pouring out. Therefore, anahata is expressing in that way, but I think that anahata would use
vishuddhi chakra to say the words that go with it.
Swami Shankardevananda: Yes, the energy flows through the other chakras, so the
activation of one chakra affects all the other chakras and modifies them according to its major
harmonic, but in its own way, so then manipura and swadhisthana become love dominant if
anahata becomes active. All the other chakras would then line themselves up with anahata
chakra.
Swami Vivekananda: Yes, I suppose manipura chakra is an expressive chakra and if you
feel high in manipura, then it would tend to flow out love more than feel the experience of
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love, which is anahata. It gets a bit complicated and it gets into an area which I had not
thought of.
Swami Shankardevananda: There is a definite connection between mooladhara and ajna.
Also, there appears to be a connection between swadhisthana, vishuddhi and bindu, a very
direct connection, and lalana, which is a sub-chakra of vishuddhi. Then it seems that manipura
and anahata are also related. This intimate connection between the chakras is symbolized by
the seven candles on the Hebrew candlestand (menorah). This is a representation of how
chakras are interacting, but actually it is a much more complicated diagram in which all
chakras interact with each other. We can regard mooladhara and swadhisthana as being
tamasic chakras, manipura and anahata as being predominantly rajasic, and vishuddhi and
ajna as being sattvic. These pairs function together. Vishuddhi and ajna, for example, are
connected on a receptive, expressive merger, one being active and the other being receptive.
Swami Vivekananda: But I see rajasic and tamasic qualities being in each of the chakras
and I see the chakras as being horizontal rather than a vertical ladder form. I just see that they
have qualities all the way through them from rajasic, right through to sattvic.
Swami Shankardevananda: That is also true. Some people think the word tamasic carries
moralistic connotations.
Swami Vivekananda: In evolution, is the bliss that the yogi experiences any different to the
bliss of orgasm? It might be at a more highly evolved level. Is the selfish love of mother for
child, to the exclusion of all other children, anything more than just a lower level of
transcendental love?
Swami Shankardevananda: In his article on kundalini, Carl Jung says that from above
manipura chakra you leave the whole sphere of the earth behind, the individuality, and the
diaphragm which lies at the manipura level could be an important anatomical separating
component as far as the chakras are concerned. And the movement away from individual love
towards universal love takes place at that point just above the diaphragm; anahata chakra.
Swami Vivekananda: It is very likely that these different opinions are all right. The
mountain looks different from different angles, but from above you see all the people looking
at the same mountain. The problem comes when you go back down to earth and talk to all the
individual people. It is very difficult to describe what you experienced when you saw the
whole mountain. This is why we get so many different opinions, philosophies and religions.
MOOLADHARA & SWADHISTHANA CHAKRAS
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Swami Shankardevananda: Can you discuss the nerve complexes associated with
mooladhara and swadhisthana chakras?
Swami Vivekananda: Well, for all of these segments there are somatic nerves, which deal
with the sensory input and the voluntary motor output, and also there are the autonomic
nerves, divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic. And usually there is an appropriate
endocrine gland for each segment, like the pineal, pituitary and thyroid. The exception is
muladhara, and to date, medical science has not found an endocrine gland associated with it.
This of course does not mean that one will not be discovered in the future.
Let us try to work out the psychophysiological aspects of mooladhara. In the male it is
actually associated with the base of the penis and with the female, the cervix. So it has a very
deep-rooted sexual link.
If you repeat a mooladhara chakra mantra and you concentrate in that area somewhere,
you will feel a certain vibration occurring. Now what is the mantra doing? Is it stimulating
some physiological organ, or is it some sort of occult stimulation? Is it stimulating a physical
organ or is it activating a lot of energy which seems to appear in a certain place which we call
a chakra? I think it is perhaps the last one of these.
Swami Shankardevananda: I believe that the mooladhara trigger point and the place of
actual experience may be different, but the general location of mooladhara chakra is certainly
in the perineum; it is clearly felt in that area. If it is felt higher, then it is not mooladhara
chakra it is swadhisthana. Either the mantra is wrong or the vibration is stimulating something
else which is more receptive and reactive.
Swami Vivekananda: Is there a physiological basis for this? It is quite possible that the
repetition of a mantra is stimulating the spinal cord. You can certainly feel it in the area being
stimulated and it is not only there, because all the fibers that are coming out from the body are
stimulated. So no matter at what level you stimulate your spiral cord, no matter what chakra is
stimulated, you are going to collect the fibers from so-called mooladhara chakra. At
swadhisthana you will also get the mooladhara chakra fibers; at manipura you get the
mooladhara fibers back to swadhisthana and manipura as well - and all the way up.
Mooladhara chakra is always there in the act because its fibers come from the lowest part.
Swami Shankardevananda: Gould we consider the sexual energy of mooladhara and its
possible transmutation?
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Swami Vivekananda: This basic sexual energy that Gopi Krishna has written about is
actually the sattvic or subtle essence which can be perceived when the consciousness becomes
very sensitive. This is the essence of the kundalini experience, the sublimation of sexual
energy, the basic life force which is the source of all generation, regeneration and
reproduction. Gopi Krishna felt that what he was seeing was semen being converted into
energy and distributing itself throughout the body. I feel that what he was perceiving was a
clairvoyant view of energy given off by the simple nerve fibers in those organs he was talking
about. But he identified it as semen because that is what is written in the scriptures. I do not
know what women are supposed to have, he did not mention that and I do not think the
scriptures do either. I sometimes have a funny feeling that women did not exist until about 20
years ago.
Swami Nischalananda: The Hatha Toga Pradipika and certain tantric texts do talk about
women, however, generally that side has been neglected. According to yoga the sexual energy
in men and women is sublimated and transmuted into the ascent of the kundalini. The starting
point, the trigger, is mooladhara. For some reason, the Buddhists say that the ascent
commences at manipura, not mooladhara. How is it that the enlightened Buddha completely
bypassed the two lower chakras? Actually the whole concept of where kundalini lies is a
matter of experience. I don't think that Buddha actually said that kundalini starts in manipura;
more likely he stated that real spiritual evolution starts from manipura. Swamiji has said many
times that only when the kundalini reaches manipura is it stabilized. It starts in mooladhara
but stabilizes in manipura.
I think this apparent discrepancy comes because of the philosophy of Buddha who was a
gyani, and he didn't get much into kundalini yoga. Vajrayana, on the other hand, which was
an offshoot of Buddhism at a later date, is very much concerned with mooladhara. But let us
get back to the functioning of mooladhara.
Swami Shankardevananda: Mooladhara chakra has two basic modes of function, one is
energy depleted and the other is energy activated. Within that system there is a sick and a
healthy mooladhara. What are the symptoms of these different states of mooladhara chakra? It
is simple - you are either sick or healthy, balanced or unbalanced. If you are unbalanced you
are going to have ida over or under active or pingala over or under active. You are going to
have physical and mental symptoms, fear, insecurity and all those things. Freud said that
everyone who denies mooladhara becomes constipated and hoards money. Every miser is
constipated. These symptoms may be mild or very extreme. In the fully awakened state they
are either going to rip you to pieces or take you to a higher awareness. So what is the basic
quality of a well functioning mooladhara chakra?
Swami Vivekananda: Renunciation.
Swami Shankardevananda: We can say that security and renunciation are interchangeable
in the mooladhara system. We can say that in this chakra basic security is the key.
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Renunciation obviously implies security and if you are secure within yourself you don't need
any external security.
Swami Satyadharma: When awakening of mooladhara takes place then there is no such
problem as insecurity.
Swami Vivekananda: Of course this is the state of consciousness of an awakened
mooladhara. A low energized mooladhara chakra generally means low vitality, emotional
insecurity, fear of the future. I also think low self-esteem is involved in this. It almost forms
the syndrome of depression, although you don't necessarily have to get the joylessness of the
low energized swadhisthana chakra. If there is low evolution and high drive in mooladhara,
then you get the ambitious person out to collect as much as he can. He can be a
multimillionaire and still accumulate stuff because he still feels insecure. The security is a
state of consciousness, not a physical reality. As mooladhara chakra starts to evolve the
person attains security, which is totally unrelated to circumstances.
You can see varying degrees of renunciation not only between sannyasins and the
community, but within the community of sannyasins as well.
Swami Satyadharma: When energies pool at mooladhara, do they stimulate or aggravate
the chakras? What is the difference between stagnation of energy and activation of the
chakra?
Swami Vivekananda: Well, I just see that the mooladhara circuit in some people is
sometimes poorly energized; the whole circuit itself has low energization. This varies between
people and varies within people, depending upon cosmic events, the position of planets, the
weather and all sorts of things, including psychological factors such as disappointments, hurts
and threats to one's security. It varies with each of us. Some people are very much in
mooladbara; hooked on the basic sexual aspect of mooladhara in which case they are very
much involved in money and possessions. If they are low energized, they will still think about
these things but they will not do anything about it.
I think you need a certain amount of energization to produce the drive that is inherent in
each chakra; the basic sexual hunting drive in swadhisthana chakra, the territorial and
dominance drive in manipura and the nurturing drive in anahata chakra. Remember, there are
two parameters, the amount of energization of each chakra and the degree of evolution.
It seems that yoga practices balance the energy inherent within each of the chakra circuits,
and by virtue of eliminating the blockages (samskaras), evolve the quality of the chakras at
the same time. And of course, if you have the grace of the guru you are on the express line.
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Swami Satyadharma: So docs pooled energy act to block or can it be used to activate the
chakra? For example, if a person has a lot of pooled energy in mooladhara, would that be an
energy block or could that pooled energy be utilized to activate and awaken a chakra?
Swami Vivekananda: It can be used to activate if the psychological blockages are
eliminated.
Swami Shankardevananda: I think there is a difference between storage and blockage. The
ability to hold or store energy takes place consciously, whilst having an unconscious or
subconscious blockage leads to repression.
Swami Vivekananda: And repression of a highly energized chakra can produce all sorts of
physical symptoms, such as muscle tension, malfunctioning of internal organs, etc., as well as
emotional problems.
Swami Shankardevananda: What are the psychological effects of mooladhara awakening?
Swami Vivekananda: As I have already said, renunciation.
Swami Shankardevananda: The feeling of separation, the beginning of your individual
awareness; awakening to the fact that you are separate from something else.
Swami Nischalananda: Primal alienation or something like that.
Swami Shankardevananda: Do you think that the basic energy at mooladhara is anxiety,
fear, or is it insecurity?
Swami Vivekananda: The basic emotion? Well, it depends on the energization of the
circuit. If there is not much energy it will tend to be depression and hopelessness. But if there
is a lot of energy it will then depend upon the evolution of the chakra. If it is little evolved,
then there will be intense insecurity, which is anxiety. If it is highly evolved there will be a
sense of oneness and complete security. Generally rnooladhara is blocked to some extent in
most people and blockages may manifest as muscle tension.
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Muscle tensions are manifestations of the circuits of mental blockages, samskaras. It is the
samskaras that keep down the evolution of the quality of consciousness that is within these
chakra circuits. I think that low evolution, muscle spasms and the maladjustments of the
organisms that are supplied by that part of the autonomic nervous system are due to psychic
tensions.
Swami Shankardevananda: These psychic and personality tensions are due to various
events in the environment.
Swami Vivekananda: That is right. The inner unconscious conflicts coming into conflict
with events in the environment. For example, if a man feels very insecure and someone steals
a valuable possession from him, he may go into an absolute frenzy. This is opposed to the
reaction of someone else who does not have the same sort of conflicts and insecurities.
If a person cannot express the feeling that is involved at mooladhara, that feeling can
express itself in somatic problems such as spasms of the muscles, in autonomic problems,
blood pressure, constipation, and who knows what else, maybe functional urethritis, cystitis,
colitis, rectitis, dysmenorrhea, etc.
PSYCHOSIS
Swami Shankardevananda: Would you associate a highly energized, low evolved
mooladhara problem as the cause of manic depression?
Swami Vivekananda: I think manic depression is an ida/pingala thing. I think we are in
another dimension there, because a manic person will undergo all manifestations of a very
highly energized and controlled chakra. He will be rushing around gambling all his money
away, trying to get more, getting into all sorts of sexual exploits, going round pushing other
people around - the rajasic aspect.
Swami Sambuddhananda: Would you say that schizophrenia and paranoia are related with
ida and pingala imbalance?
Swami Vivekananda: Yes, there are people who are stuck in ida. Ida is very much
overactive. It is interesting that research shows that the taking in of negative aspects of the
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environment through the right hemisphere (ida) is paranoia. This is what paranoia is all about.
A lot of people, some of them quite highly evolved people who have specialized much in ida
are a bit paranoid. The ida seems to have a negative aspect about it. Even if you come into it
at a high level of consciousness, it seems to have a bit of a negative pull. If you are going to
activate your chakras you have to make sure your ida and pingala are balanced.
Swami Shankardevananda: But manic depression, psychosis and other mental problems
relate to either mooladhara or ajna because it is only at these two points that you have the
fusion of ida and pingala. Therefore, psychosis, manic depression and all these things would
seem to relate very much to the mooladhara/ajna circuit. If ida and pingala are coming out of
mooladhara chakra then what would be the mechanism dealing with psychosis?
Swami Vivekananda: I think that ida and pingala are only related to the activities of the
cerebral hemispheres.
Swami Shankardevananda: But the whole body is controlled by the hemispheres. The
whole body gets the energy. Arteries and veins, sensory and motor nerves, right and left
hemispheres are all reflections of the ida and pingala process.
Swami Vivekananda: I see ida and pingala anatomically up here in the brain, not crossing
down the spine. I believe that ida and pingala crossing each other is a concept and a symbol of
experience.
Swami Satyadharma: I think that awakening of mooladhara is the beginning of psychic
awareness. That is why with mooladhara awakening, people often become disturbed.
Swami Vivekananda: Yes. They can get caught in the psychic consciousness, which is the
consciousness in which you have hallucinations, etc.
Swami Satyadharma: It is much more powerful than anything they have ever experienced
before.
Swami Vivekananda: We slide in and out of it twice a day anyway, even if we are not
doing any formal closed eye meditation techniques. I think if you hold the awareness at the
psychic level, and you can do it with yoga nidra, you will experience a state in which there is
thought blocking - what is called thought disorder - you know, where one thought leads on to
another one that is unrelated to it and it just goes off into the distance. Paradoxical thinking 379
where two paradoxical things can exist together, hallucinations, voices talking to you, you see
things and so forth.
Swami Shankardevananda: So therefore we assume that pingala is blocked and ida is
flowing. All that stuff is coming out through ida from mooladhara; basic subconscious
material.
Swami Vivekananda: At the same time there is psychic withdrawal.
Swami Shankardevananda: Yes, so what does that imply?
Swami Vivekananda: If there is a psychic withdrawal, then even though we appear to be in
communication with the outside, in actual fact we are still inside from the psychic point of
view. Paradoxical thinking, suspicious feelings, voices and all these things, and not being able
to keep your thoughts together on one topic for any more than a couple of seconds - all these
come from a psychic, inner plane.
PHYSICAL DISEASES
Swami Shankardevananda: What about physical disease associated with mooladhara
chakra problems? We have already talked about constipation; this of course brings about
things like hemorrhoids.
Swami Vivekananda: There are a lot of other types of constipation involved too - of
energy, emotions, of information - yes, all inherent in mooladhara chakra as hoarding of any
type.
Swami Gaurishankar: What about disease ?
Swami Vivekananda: Statistics involved in diseases in this area also tend to relate to the
manipura and anahata areas, and the diseases of hypertension, heart problems, peptic ulcers
and all that sort of thing. I would assume all sorts of diseases of the lower excretory and
reproductive organs are associated with a malfunctioning mooladhara.
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Swami Shankardevananda: Cancer?
Swami Vivekananda: Yes, of the rectum and bladder.
Swami Shankardevananda: The helplessness associated with it too?
Swami Vivekananda: I don't know if it is all cancers we are talking about now. I don't
know if they would be segmental or what. Hypertension, for instance, appears to be a
generalized condition. It is mainly related to the manipura chakra circuits. Cancer may well be
a generalized condition that is related to one of the chakras, perhaps mooladhara.
Swami Paramananda: How far can you take the relationship between the chakras and the
physical organs like the heart? If the heart is not functioning well and it affects the anahata
chakra which is love, can that also mean that there is a lack of love going through that person
and physically it comes out in anahata chakra and the heart as disease?
Swami Vivekananda: Yes, it can be in both. If a person has a need for love coming from
outside and it is not coming, and/or that person has imbalanced constructions of love, then
anahata problems can arise in the form of cardiac problems such as angina, palpitations, etc.
Swami Paramananda: Do you think that applies to all the chakras? If you find a particular
organ not functioning in a sick person, does it mean there is a deficiency of the qualities of the
chakra related to that part of the body?
Swami Vivekananda: As a general rule, yes, but you can get other problems as well. For
instance, you can get an activation of manipura chakra, which activates the sympathetic
nervous system which produces restriction of the coronary artery.
There is interreaction between the different chakras, and this is the beauty of a well taught
yoga class - it balances all these qualities, and balance is the key to the whole thing. Rather
than trying to work on one area, which is a more specific medical style, yoga therapy works
on the whole human structure.
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Swami Muktibodhananda: How do the physical organs relate to the chakras and spiritual
evolution?
Swami Vivekananda: Consider hysterectomy. Let us assume the wrong woman is wheeled
into the operating theater and she has a hysterectomy. This will then cut off the end organ for
a lot of nerve fibers and the atrophy will run up the nerves and eliminate the brain centers
involved in that. That is an example of a deficiency in the organ producing changes in the
centers involved, the circuit. Does that make it any more difficult for her to realize higher
aspects of swadhisthana chakra?
Swami Shankardevananda: Depends how much of the centers is lost. If she just loses the
uterus and not the ovaries, for example, all the hormonal secretions will be maintained.
Anyway, after the age of forty most women have a natural hysterectomy.
Swami Vivekananda: Yes, but they don't lose the nerve endings. When the uterus is
removed, because the nerve endings are useless, they atrophy. Does this affect the associated
chakras?
Swami Nischalananda: Swamiji says it does not make any difference if there is a
vasectomy, because it is only the physical body. I think, as regards swadhisthana for example,
that if they are already on the spiritual path and have developed some psychic awareness, then
that operation would definitely not affect them much, if at all. If they had no background of
yogic practice, then probably the destruction of that organ would slightly hamper progress,
because initially you depend upon those organs to stimulate something, especially in the
practices of hatha and kriya yoga. If you follow the path of bhakti or gyana yoga, of course, it
makes no difference.
Swami Shankardevananda: If you lose one center or two centers physically I think it does
not hinder you because a lot of other centers are left. There are tons of potential left within the
brain.
Swami Vivekananda: To sum up, we function on physical, emotional, mental, psychic and
spiritual levels. The chakras span all these levels. The purpose of yoga and tantra is to
stimulate the chakras at all these levels. Then, and only then, can we become healthy human
beings.
MENTAL PROBLEMS
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Swami Sambuddhananda: What is the cause of depression?
Swami Vivekananda: I think low activation of the swadhisthana circuit is the prime cause
of depression.
Swami Shankardevananda: I thought it was due to low activation in mooladhara.
Swami Vivekananda: Well, the qualities in both these chakras are very close.
Swami Shankardevananda: So what is the difference between mooladhara and
swadhisthana?
Swami Vivekananda: You can see the different qualities in the various types of anxiety
you see in different people. In psychiatry, the various forms of anxiety all come under the
name of anxiety, yet they are all different syndromes, and they are also related to different
chakra circuits. People with a low energized mooladhara chakra are not just apprehensive
about the future, they also feel insecure about the present. They simply don't feel that this is a
secure world, and the state of consciousness they have at any time is that things are sort of
dangerous.
There is another type of depression which I perceived in a little woman who was a
Piscean, forty-five years of age. Her husband had left her when she was about thirty five, and
she led a very quiet life, as Pisceans tend to do. But she was still pretty energized in
swadhisthana chakra, as Pisceans tend to be. She was describing this anxiety that she had.
Through empathy I started to experience what she was describing. It was a sort of quivering
vibration going on in the pelvis. It was a quivering all around the area of swadhisthana chakra,
not specifically genital, but all around the upper part of the pelvis. It really was a type of
anxiety.
I gave her the general swadhisthana practices like shalabhasana, etc. She improved a lot. I
don't really know what the yogic practices did, but they seemed to deactivate her pentup
emotion. I think it was just sexual tension that she had in that area and she was perceiving it
as anxiety. She also had a fear of it because she did not know what it was.
There is another case of depression which is a well known one - butterflies in the stomach,
accompanied by palpitations, which is just activation of the sympathetic nervous system. One
case I saw was a taxi driver who had a minor accident in his cab. He got this phobia and he
couldn't get in his taxi without experiencing butterflies. In Aruba (South America), where he
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lived, taxi fares are minimal so that the taxi drivers are really hard up. This man had to
employ someone else to drive his cab for him and he was losing money. He had been off work
for six weeks. Every time he went up to his cab he would get this terrible churning in the
stomach and he developed hypertension. He was a very dynamic Aries.
So I thought, '"What to do?" I taught him kunjal in order to get all that energy out of
manipura chakra. He did it once in the ashram and then immediately went out and got in his
cab. This type of anxiety and depression is obviously a manipura overactivity.
There is another type of anxiety which arises through too much thinking; 'Wouldn't it be
terrible if such and such happened, and if that happens maybe something else will happen, and
if that happens maybe...' People with this problem just think and think and think, until that
preoccupation produces a fear within them which is not necessarily contained in the
symptoms. That is dealt with by practising bhramari pranayama. So within this diagnosis of
anxiety there seems to be these four types. There may be others related to the other chakras,
but I have not yet noticed them.
Swami Nischalananda: Maybe stuttering, loss of voice and things like that, related to
vishuddhi, can be cured by simhasana.
Swami Vivekananda: Exactly, tightening up of the throat. It seems to be more related to a
lack of self-confidence rather than the feeling of anxiety. Simhasana works wonders.
When I was in general practice, I used to do a lot of spinal adjustments and manipulation,
and after a while I specialized in spinal problems. I did a lot of backs at that stage. I found that
patients came in clusters. I would get a lot of people with an upper cervical lesion, migraine
headaches, tightness in the neck region, with all the symptoms of chronic sinusitis and all the
other things related to upper cervical tension. I found that all the people with upper cervical
problems were corning in when the moon was full, all the people with lumbar/sacral problems
were coming in when the moon was new, and in between all the others were spread out. This
is interesting, because it is related to chakra activation. Almost before the patient told me, I
could pinpoint the exact spinal segment in which he would be having problems. I knew
according to the moon phase. This relationship became obvious to me, especially towards the
end of the time I was manipulating, because I used to take on the symptoms of my patients.
Swami Shankardevananda: This means that we need a whole set of asanas working on all
the segments of the spine.
Swami Vivekananda: Yes, we have them, for example, surya namaskara. In Australia we
used to use the leg lock posture for mooladhara chakra, shalabhasana and bhujangasana for
swadhisthana chakra. Actually these asanas are supposed to be for manipura chakra, but so
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many people have such stiff backs that they activate swadhisthana chakra instead. Then
paschimottanasana and dhanurasana for manipura; for anahata, supta vajrasana and
matsyasana; for vishuddhi, sarvangasana; and for ajna, sirshasana and ashwa sanchalanasana.
Halasana also activates because the inflection is brought right up to the upper cervical area.
However, people who have a stiff upper cervical spine should not do any of those upper spine
flexion practices, because the discs are very tiny at that part and these asanas can be too much.
Swami Nischalananda: Khandharasana is good for this area. It's not so strong because a lot
of the body weight is taken by the feet.
Swami Gaurishankar: Let us get back to the subject of depression.
Swami Vivekananda: I think there are different qualities in the thing that we call
depression. The dread of the future is one of the symptoms of depression and I think it is a
mooladhara chakra problem. But the dejection, lack of joy and loss of sense of humor that you
find in many people is due to a low energized swadhisthana. With a low energized manipura
comes loss of appetite and low emotional activity.
In depression there is a vicious circle; the whole mechanism, the whole
noradrenalin/dopamine mechanism seems to slow down. It involves hormones. Most of the
anti-depressants act upon this noradrenalin/dopamine system.
Swami Shankardevananda: I would also imagine that depletion of testosterone, excessive
sexual activity, depletion of adrenalin, excessive fear and anxiety, etc., all lead to a depressed
state.
Swami Vivekananda: That is right. I have often suspected too, that when the moon is new
for instance, then people tend to function to some extent on the energy of the lower chakras.
The other ones are functioning too, but it is the lower chakras that are carrying a lot of the
energy. And actually, the normal person experiences a depressed feeling lasting a couple of
days during that phase. Then the moon starts activating the other chakras and the person
comes out of it.
Swami Nischalananda: This relationship is also indicated by the fact that some people go
crazy at the time of full moon. It means that energy comes up to and accumulates at ajna
chakra. The high energy affects the mind.
Swami Vivekananda: It is strange that the medical profession denies that the full moon has
any effect on the mental state of people, and there are very comprehensive statistics from
psychiatric hospitals to show that the admission rate is no higher at the time of the full moon
than it is at the time of new moon. To this I say that there are different conditions for which
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people are being admitted at the time of the full moon and at the time of the new moon; this is
most clearly seen.
Swami Shankardevananda: In hospitals, all the nursing staff know that when the full moon
comes there are going to be problems. There will be more road accidents, more crazy people
coming in and people going off their heads, etc.
Swami Muktibodhananda: What is the difference between fear, anxiety and phobia?
Swami Vivekananda: Fear is a normal response to a threatening situation. If a tiger came
into this room, nine people would be frightened and that would be a natural response.
Anxiety, on the other hand, is really a collection of symptoms which go on for a long time,
usually not provoked by an external situation.
Phobias are immediate responses, just like fear, but the responses are to a non-threatening
situation. A mouse a hundred yards down the corridor, for instance, would not affect any of
us, but someone with a phobia about mice would panic.
Swami Shankardevananda: Phobias are actually a displacement from an original object on
to a different situation.
Swami Vivekananda: That is the ego-defence mechanism that Freud used to talk about.
Freud used to talk about anxiety, psychic complexes and all that, but the man in the taxi who
had butterflies in the stomach did have an accident which may have activated some old
samskara somewhere, which turned into a full fear of getting into his taxi. But the whole thing
was cleared so quickly; it was not deep-seated. Sometimes I believe these things just build up
in a susceptible moment rather than in a susceptible person. They build up from a small bit of
anxiety to a bigger anxiety on the basisof a vicious circle. You break that vicious circle
anywhere and the whole thing just dissolves.
Swami Shankardevananda: The longer it is sustained the more difficult it is to break.
Swami Vivekananda: Each chakra has its own work to perform and if one center is
blocked or diseased, then another center takes over its work. Because this work or function is
being done by another center, it becomes perverted. This happens a lot if a person is inhibited
in swadhisthana chakra. Manipura will take over the work and then the sexual activities will
be just a power play, competition and that sort of stuff- completely perverted.
This perversion also occurs if manipura chakra takes over the job of anahata. It is seen in
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do-gooders, those people who come and force you, almost by threats of violence, to let them
help you.
Swami Shankardevananda: Another example is of those persons who get involved in a
sexual encounter to fulfil the anahata center, and of course they don't get that fulfillment. This
can lead to problems in marriage and all the things you were saying about perversion of
normal function.
Swami Vivekananda: So the purpose of yoga is to balance the functioning of the chakras
and at the same time to awaken the associated energies. Then and only then can we function
as joyful, spontaneous human beings, without depression, psychosis or physical problems.
Only when we balance and awaken all the chakras can life become meaningful.
Section 5 – APPENDIX
Index of Practices
A
Agnisar kriya
Agochari mudra (nasikagra drishti)
Ajapa japa meditation
Ajna chakra practices
Amrit pan
Anahata chakra and kshetram location
Anahata chakra practices
Anahata meditation- entering the heart space
Anahata purification
Anuloma viloma pranayama
Ashwini mudra
В
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Bhadrasana
Bhramari pranayama
Bija mantra sanchalana
Bindu visarga practices
С
Chakra
Chakra
Chakra
Chakra
Chakra
anusandhana
bhedan
meditation
meditation with musical scale
yoga nidra
Chaturtha pranayama
D
Dhyana
Drawing the chakras
j
Jalandhara bandha
К
Khechari mudra
Kriya yoga practices
L
Linga sanchalana
M
Maha bheda mudra
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Maha mudra
Manduki mudra
Manipura chakra and kshetram location
Manipura chakra practices
Manipura purification
Meditation- entering the heart space
Moola bandha
Mooladhara chakra location
Mooladhara chakra practices
Moorchha pranayama
Musical chakra meditation
N
Nada sanchalana
Nasikagra drishti (agochari mudra)
Nauli
Naumukhi mudra
О
Ohji mudra (sahajoli mudra)
P
Padmasana
Pawan sanchalana
Perception of subtle inner sound
Prana ahuti
S
Sahajoli mudra
Shabda sanchalana
Shakti chalini
Shambhavi
Shambhavi mudra with Om chanting
Shanmukhi mudra (yoni mudra)
Siddhasana
Siddha yoni asana
Sushumna darshan
Swadhisthana chakra location
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Swadhisthana chakra practices
Swadhisthana kshetram location
Swaroopa darshan
Т
Tadan kriya
Trataka
U
Uddiyana bandha
Ujjayi pranayama
Union of prana and apana
Unmani mudra
Utthan padasana
Utthan
V
Vajroli mudra
Vajroli mudra with bindu awareness
Vipareeta karani asana
Vipareeta karani mudra
Vishuddhi chakra practices
Vishuddhi chakra and kshetram location and purification
Y
Yoni mudra (shanmukhi mudra)
Glossary
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Adwaita: non-dual; the concept of oneness.
Agni: fire.
Ajapa japa: meditational practice in which mantra is repeated in coordination with the
ingoing and outgoing breath.
Ajna chakra: the psychic command center situated in the midbrain.
Akasha: ethereal tspace, e.g. the inner space before the forehead known as chidakasha, the
heart space known as hridayakasha, and the ether of outer space known as mahakasha.
Amaroli: yogic tantric practice in which the urine is used either internally or externally for
mental and physical health.
Amrit: psychic nectar which is secreted in bindu and drops from lalana chakra to vishuddhi
chakra, causing a feeling of blissful intoxication.
Amygdala: small area of grey matter in the temporal lobe, part of the limbic system.
Anahata chakra: the psychic center related to the region of the heart.
Anandamaya kosha: transcendental dimension; personal and collective unconscious.
Annamaya kosha: the physical body or level of existence; the conscious aspect.
Aorta: largest artery of the body, which takes oxygenated blood from the heart for distribution
throughout the body.
Apana: vital energy in the lower part of the body, below the navel.
Asana: a steady and comfortable position of the body.
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Ashram: yogic community where the inmates live and work equally under the guidance of a
guru.
Astral body: the subtle, psychic body; finer than the physical body.
Atman: the pure self, beyond body and mind.
Atma shakti: spiritual force.
Aushadi: awakening of spiritual power through the use of herbs or plant preparations.
Autogenic training: psychotherapy that works with the body and mind simultaneously;
learning to manipulate the bodily functions through the mind.
Avatara: divine incarnation.
Avidya: ignorance.
Awareness: the faculty of conscious knowing.
Ballistocardiograph: machine which measures small body motions accompanying the
movement of blood through the circulatory system.
Bandha: psychomuscular energy lock which redirects the flow of psychic energy in the body.
Bhajan: devotional song.
Bhakta: one who follows the path of bhakti yoga.
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Bhaktiyoga: the yoga of devotion.
Bhrumadhya: the eyebrow center; kshetram or contact point for ajna chakra.
Bija mantra: seed sound; a basic mantra or vibration which has its origin in trance
consciousness.
Bindu: the psychic center situated at the top back of the head; a point or drop which is the
substratum of the whole cosmos, the seat of total creation.
Brahma: the divine spirit, Hindu god; creator of the universe.
Brahmacharya: control and redirection of sexual energy towards spiritual awakening.
Brahma granthi: knot of creation. Psycho muscular knot in the perineum which must be
released for kundalini to enter and ascend through sushumna nadi. It symbolizes the blockage
posed by material and sensual attachment.
Brahmamuhurta : the time between 4 and 6 am. This is the sattvic time of day, best suited to
yogic sadhana.
Brahman: absolute reality.
Brahma nadi: the most subtle pranic flow within the sushumna nadi.
Brahmin: a member of the highest Hindu caste, namely the priestly caste.
Buddhi: the higher intelligence, concerned with real wisdom; the faculty of valuing things for
the advancement of life and conscious awareness.
Causal body: the body you experience in deep sleep and in certain types of samadhi.
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Central canal: the hollow passage within the spinal cord. In the subtle body, this is the path of
sushumna nadi.
Cerebral cortex: grey matter on the surface of the brain responsible for higher mental
functions.
Cerebrospinal fluid: (GSF) cushion of fluid protecting the brain and spinal cord.
Cervical plexus: autonornic nerve plexus in the neck associated with vishuddhi chakra.
Cervix: the circular opening leading into the womb; seat of mooladhara chakra in the female
body.
Chakra : literally 'wheel or vortex'; major psychic center in the subtle body, responsible for
specific physiological and psychic functions.
Chela: disciple.
Chitta: mind; conscious, subconscious and unconscious levels of the brain.
Cingulate gyfus: a convolution of the brain, part of the limbic system.
Coccygeal plexus: small nerve plexus at the base of the spine behind the pelvic cavity, related
to swadhisthana chakra.
Consciousness: the medium of universal and individual awareness.
Corpus callosum: fibers connecting the two hemispheres of the brain.
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Deity: a form of divinity, a divine being having subordinate functions.
Devata: divine power.
Devi: a goddess; a manifestation of Shakti.
Dharana: concentration; continuity of mental process on one object or idea without leaving it.
Dharma: duty; code of harmonious living; spiritual path.
Dhumra lingam: smoky (obscured) lingam; the symbol of Shiva as manifest in mooladhara
chakra.
Dhyana: meditation, in the sense of intense meditation for an extended period of time.
Diksha: initiation into spiritual life by a guru.
Dopamine: chemical involved in the excitatory systems of the brain.
Durga: Hindu goddess; a personification of Shakti, pictured riding upon a tiger, to whom
personal ambition is rendered.
Dwaita: the philosophy of dualism in which man and God are considered to be separated.
EGG: electrocardiogram. Tracing of electric current current produced by nerve cells in the
brain.
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EMG: electromyography. Recording of electrical properties of muscles.
Epiglottis: flap of cartilage at the back of the throat which integrates the swallowing and
breathing processes.
Frontal lobe: anterior portion of the brain containing the motor area.
Ganga: the river Ganges, the longest and most sacred river in India.
Gauss : measurement of intensity of a magnetic field.
Granthis: the three psychic knots on the sushumna nadi which hinder the upward passage of
kundalini - brahma granthi, vishnu granthi and rudra granthi.
Gunas: the three qualities of matter or prakriti - tamas, rajas and sattva.
Guru: literally, 'he who dispels darkness'; the spiritual master or teacher.
Guru chakra: another name for ajna chakra, the eye of intuition; through which the inner
guru's guidance manifests.
Gyanayoga: path of yoga concerned directly with knowledge, self-awareness.
Gyanendriyas: the organs of knowledge or sensory organs such as eyes, ears, skin, etc.
Hatha yoga: a system of yoga which specially deals with practices for bodily purification.
Hippocampus: an elevation on the floor of the lateral ventricle, part of the limbic system.
Hiranyagarbha: the golden egg; womb of consciousness, the seat of supreme awareness in the
crown of the head; known as sahasrara chakra.
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Hridayakasha: the etheric space visualized within the heart; the heart space.
Hypo-metabolic state: state of lowered metabolism, for example, decrease in respiratory,
circulatory and secretory rates.
Hypothalamus: portion of the brain that integrates temperature, sleep, food intake,
development of sexual characteristics and endocrine activity.
Ida: major psychic channel which conducts manas shakti, mental energy, located on the left
side of the psychic body; the 'ha' of hatha yoga.
Indriyas: sense organs.
Ishta devata: one's personal symbol, form or vision of God.
Itarakhya lingam: symbol of Shiva in ajna chakra.
Jalandhara bandha: chin lock. It compresses the prana in the trunk of the body and thereby
helps to control psychic energy.
Japa: repetition of a mantra until it becomes the spontaneous form of your conscious
awareness.
Jivanmukta: liberated soul, one who has attained self-realization or moksha.
Jivatma: the individual soul.
Jyotir lingam: the symbol of Shiva in sahasrara chakra. This lingam is of pure white light,
symbolizing illumined astral consciousness.
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Kabbalah: text dealing with the esoteric mysticism of the Judaic religion.
Kali: form of Shakti who arouses terror and fear, destroyer of ignorance in her devotees.
Karma: actions, work, the inherent subconscious imprints which make a person act.
Karma yoga: action performed unselfishly, for the welfare of others and the fulfillment of
dharma.
Karmendriyas: organs of action, e.g. feet, hands, vocal chords, anus, sexual organs, etc.
Kevala kumbhaka: spontaneous breath retention.
Khechari mudra: mudra of hatha yoga and tantra, in which the tongue passes back into the
pharynx to stimulate the flow of amrit from lalana chakra, activating vishuddhi chakra.
Kirtan: repetition of mantras set to music.
Koshas: sheaths or bodies.
Kshetram: contact centers for the chakras. They are found in the front of the body.
Kumbhaka: breath retention.
Kurma nadi: (tortoise nadi) nadi associated with vishuddhi chakra. Its control brings the
ability to live without physical sustenance.
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Lalana chakra: minor chakra in the region of the back wall of the pharynx, where amrit is
stored from bindu and released to vishuddhi.
Limbic system: group of structures in the brain associated with certain aspects of emotion and
behavior.
Lingam: symbol representing Lord Shiva; the male aspect of creation; symbol of the astral
body.
Loka: world, dimension or plane of existence or consciousness.
Lord Shiva: archetypal renunciate and yogi who dwells in meditation high in the Himalayas;
Hindu god; destroyer of the universe.
Madya: wine; also refers to spiritual intoxication resulting from drinking the nectar of
immortality, amrit.
Mahakala: great or endless time.
Mahatma: great soul.
Maithuna: literally 'sacrifice'; sexual union with a spiritual purpose.
Mala: a rosary-like string of beads used in meditational practices.
Manas: one aspect of mind; the mental faculty of comparing, classifying and reasoning.
Manas shakti: mental force.
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Mandala: tantric diagram used for meditation.
Manic depression: psychosis marked by severe mood swings.
Manomaya kosha: mental dimension; conscious and subconscious aspects.
Mantra: sound or series of sounds having physical, psychic or spiritual potency when recited
in a certain prescribed manner.
Marga: path.
Matra: unit of measure.
Maya: principle of illusion.
Moksha: liberation from the cycle of births and deaths.
Moola bandha: yogic practice of stimulating mooladhara chakra for the awakening of
kundalini. It is practised by contracting the perineum in males, or the cervix in females.
Mudra: a psychic attitude often expressed by a physical gesture, movement or posture, which
affects the flow of psychic energy in the body.
Nada: sound, especially inner sound.
Nadayoga: the yoga of subtle sound.
Nadis: psychic channels for the distribution of prana in the astral body.
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Neti: hatha yoga cleansing technique in which warm saline water is passed through the nasal
passages; one of the shatkarmas.
Nirvana: enlightenment, samadhi; harmony between the individual consciousness and the
universal consciousness.
Nivritti marga: the path leading back in towards the source from which we have first come.
Nuclear fission: the process of extracting energy from matter by splitting the atom.
Om: the underlying'sound of creation; the mantra from which all others have come.
Paranoia: chronic mental disorder characterized by delusions or hallucinations.
Parasympathetic nervous system: division of the autoncmic (involuntary) nervous system
concerned with restorative processes and relaxation of the body and mind.
Pashu: the instinctual or animal aspect of man's nature.
Pineal gland:, small pine-cone shaped endocrine gland in the midbrain directly behind the
eyebrow center; the physical correlate of ajna chakra.
Pingala: the conductor and channel of prana shakti or vital force, located on the right side of
the psychic body; the 'tha' of hatha yoga.
Prakriti: the basic substance or principle of the entire phenomenal or manifest world,
composed of the three gunas (triguna) or attributes.
Prana: the life force in the body; bioenergy in general; the vital energy which operates in the
region of the heart and lungs; the psychic equivalent of the physical breath.
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Pranamaya kosha: energy dimension; conscious aspect.
Prana shakti: pranic or vital force.
Pranayama: yogic practice of manipulating and controlling the flow of prana in thesubtle
body by controlling the respiratory process.
Pranotthana: the impulses which pass up sushumna nadi to the higher centers of the brain
when a chakra is transiently aroused. These impulses purify the sushumna passage in
preparation for sustained kundalini awakening.
Pravritti marga: the path of expansion outwards into greater and greater manifestation, further
away from the source of our origin.
Psi: psychic phenomena.
Psyche: the total mental aspect of man.
Psychosis:' major mental disorder characterized by loss of contact with reality.
Purushai consciousness:; the spirit or pure self.
Raja yoga: eightfold path of yoga formulated by Patanjali. It begins with mental stability and
proceeds to the highest state of samadhi.
Rajo guna: the guna of prakriti characterized by restlessness, activity and ambition.
Rakshasa: demon; negative or self-defeating force.
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Reticular activating system: (RAS) that part of the brain-stem especially concerned with
arousal from sleep and maintenance of the alert, waking state of consciousness.
Rishi: seer or sage; who realizes the truth directly.
Rolfing: structural integration. Deep massage to rebalance the body structures.
Rudra granthi: (also known as Shiva granthi) the knot of Shiva. This is the psychic knot
within ajna chakra, which symbolizes attachment to siddhis or higher mental attributes which
must be transcended before full awakening of kundalini can occur.
Sacral plexus: nerve plexus in the back wall of the pelvis associated with swadhisthana and
rnooladhara chakras, and responsible for the functioning of the urinary and reproductive
systems.
Sadhaka: a student of spiritual practices.
Sadhana: spiritual discipline or practice.
Sadhu: a holy man.
Sahajoli: the form of vajroji mudra practised by women; contraction of the urito-ovarian
system.
Sahasrara: the thousand petalled lotus or chakra manifesting at the top of the head; the
highest psychic center; the threshold between psychic and spiritual realms which contains all
the chakras below it.
Samadhi: state of being above mortal existence; all-knowing and all-pervading state of being;
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the fulfillment of meditation; state of union with the object of meditation and the universal
consciousness.
Samana: vital energy operating in the region of the navel.
Sumkhya: the ancient scientific philosophy of India which classifies all that is known without
reference to an external power (God).
Samskara: past mental impression; archetype.
Sandhya: ritual worship conducted at dawn, noon and evening.
Sangha: associations, company, acquaintances.
Sankalpa: spiritual resolve. S
Sankalpa shakti: the power of will.
Sannyasa: total renunciation, perfect dedication.
Satsang: spiritual instruction, discussion and guidance from an illumined being or guru.
Sattva: one of the three gunas of prakriti; the pure or equilibrated state of mind or nature.
Saundarya Lahari: tan trie prayer of Adi Shankaracharya.
Schizophrenia: severe mental/emotional disturbance characterized by hallucinations and
disconnection between thoughts, feelings and actions.
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Schumann resonance: magnetic resonance of the earth - 7 cycles/second.
Shabda: sound or word; the materially creative principle.
Shaivism: philosophy of Shiva worship, perhaps the most ancient faith in the world.
Shakti: power, energy; the feminine aspect of creation; the force expressed through all
manifested phenomena.
Shambhavi mudra: mudra named after Shambhu (Shiva); focusing the eyes on bhrumadhya.
Shankhaprakshalana: a method of cleansing the entire alimentary canal.
Shanti: peace.
Shastras: scriptures.
Shatkarmas: the sis cleansing or purifying techniques of hatha yoga.
Shiva lingam: oval-shaped stone which is the symbol of Shiva, consciousness or the astral
body.
Shoonya, shoonyata: the state of absolute nothingness or void; mental vacuum.
Shuddhi: purification.
Siddha: adept, yogi; one who has control over nature, matter and the mind.
Siddhi: perfection; one of the eight occult powers; a psychic power associated with awakening
of chakra functions.
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Solar plexus: intersection of a group of nerves in the abdominal region; the physical
manifestation of manipura chakra.
Soma: amrit; a plant used by the rishis of ancient India for the purpose of spiritual awakening
and immortality.
Sushumna nadi: the most important psychic passageway. It flows in the central canal within
the spinal cord.
Swadhisthana chakra: the psychic center corresponding to the coccyx or pubic region.
Swami: literally 'one who is master of his own mind'; sannyasin disciple initiated into
sannyasa by a guru; one who has renounced mundane experiences as goals in life.
Swarayoga: the science of the breath cycle.
Swagambhu: self-created.
Sympathetic nervous system: division of the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system
responsible for maintaining physical activity of the organ systems and expenditure of energy.
Tamas: darkness; inertia; one of the three gunas of prakriti.
Tanmatra: the sense activities - sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell, and also inner intuitive
perception via the subtle organ of mind, which is the sixth sense.
Tantra: the ancient science which uses specific techniques to expand and liberate the
consciousness from its limitations.
Tantra shastra: scriptures of the tantric tradition devoted to spiritual techniques, in the form
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of a dialogue between Shiva and Shakti. These texts outline a code of living which includes
ritual, worship, discipline, meditation and the attainment of powers.
Tapasya: the practice of austerity; conditioning of the body for the removal of impurities and
for overcoming the deficiencies and weaknesses of the body, mind and senses.
Tattwat: elemental nature or quality, e.g., fire, water, air, earth, ether.
Thalamus: area in the brain which receives most sensory stimuli and integrates most incoming
and outgoing information. Also the center for appreciation of pain, touch and temperature.
Trataka: the meditational or hatha yoga technique which involves steadily gazing at an object.
Trishula: trident; three pronged implement held by Lord Shiva and carried by many holy men
and renunciates. The three prongs symbolize the three main nadis.
Udana: the vital energy operating above the throat.
Uddiyana bandha: literally 'flying upward'; a yogic practice of pranic manipulation utilizing
the abdominal muscles and organs.
Vairagya: non-attachment; state where one is calm and tranquil in the midst of the tumultuous
events of the world.
Vajra nadi: the nadi which connects the expression of sexual energy with the brain and is
concerned with the flow of ojas, the highest form of energy in the human body which is
concentrated in the semen.
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Vajroli mudra: contraction of vajra nadi.
Vasana: the desires that are the driving force behind every thought and action in life.
Vayu: air.
Vedanta: the ultimate philosophy of the Vedas.
Vedas: the oldest known religious texts of the Aryans, written more than 5000 years ago.
Ventricles: cavities in the brain where the GSF is formed.
Vigyanamaya kosha: intuitive or astral dimension; subconscious and unconscious aspects.
Vishnu: Hindu god; preserver of the universe.
Vishuddhi chakra: the psychic center located in the throat region.
Vritti: a modification arising in consciousness, likened to the circular wave pattern emanating
when a stone is dropped into a still pool of water.
Vyana: vital energy which pervades the whole body.
Yantra: a symbolic design used for concentration and meditation; the visual form of a mantra.
Yoga: union; the methods and practices leading to union of individual human consciousness
with the divine principle or cosmic consciousness.
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Yoga nidra: psychic sleep; a yogic practice in which one can raise himself from the mundane
state of body consciousness.
Yoga Sutras: text written by Patanjali, delineating the eightfold path of raja yoga, the
systematic path of meditation which culminates in the samadhi experience.
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